Final thoughts
What a strange second instalment to the match. Murray was exceptional on the restart, taking the fourth set, but Djokovic proved why he is a level above with the way he steamrolled through the decider. It was a short and sweet fifth set for Djokovic, short and brutal for Murray. Nonetheless, Murray will still look back on this clay season as the finest of his career, having won two titles and suffered only one defeat, to the man who is currently the best in the game. Murray will now have a week off before beginning his Wimbledon preparations at Queen’s, while for Djokovic there’s the small matter of attempting to write his name in the history books tomorrow. Not only would he complete a career grand slam, he’d also be half way to a calendar one. Do join us then, in the meantime our coverage of the women’s final is just getting under way as Serena Williams looks to beat flu – and her opponent Lucie Safarova – to close within two major titles of Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22. It could be a memorable weekend in Paris. Thanks for reading. Bye!
Djokovic leads Wawrinka 17-3 but, as you know, some classics of late. Their last 10 matches pic.twitter.com/FJzCnkj6li
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) June 6, 2015
Amazing clay court season for Murray. Bodes well for him @Wimbledon Very Very well
— Patrick McEnroe (@PatrickMcEnroe) June 6, 2015
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"Very difficult match. I started with good intensity...Andy refound confidence. Today in fifth I was better." -Novak in French (roughly).
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 6, 2015
Djokovic beats Murray 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1 to reach the French Open final!
So Djokovic serving for the right to face Stan Wawrinka tomorrow, and move within one victory of becoming only the eighth man to win a career grand slam. 15-0. 30-0, as he draws Murray into the net seemingly on a piece of string, and Murray can only scoop long. 40-0, three match points. Djokovic snatches at the first, as he slaps into the net. 40-15. But he makes no mistakes on the second, rounding things off with an ace out wide. So much for the weight of history on his shoulders, that was an emphatic way to win the match. The pair embrace at the net, before Djokovic salutes the crowd. Murray takes his leave fairly quickly, but not before acknowledging the spectators too. Djokovic then decides to conduct his on-court interview in French. I got “premier jour”, “très difficile”, but my limited French didn’t stretch to more than that. Je suis désolé ...
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Fifth set: Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 1-5 Djokovic* (*denotes next server)
Murray looks to have found a way to weather the storm, but Djokovic hustles his way to 30-all. A crucial point for Murray, he can’t afford to go break point down here. But he does, as he sends an errant shot out. 30-40. His misses his first serve, goes into the corner on the second, before going head to head with Djokovic from the baseline. The pair move each other around, neither looking to have the initiative, before Djokovic lets rip with a ferocious forehand that finds the line. And the world No1 is a game away from the final.
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Fifth set: *Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 1-4 Djokovic (*denotes next server)
15-0, 30-0. Then comes what feels like 639 bounces before Djokovic serves. The pair trade cross-court blow after cross-court blow but this time Djokovic is able to find a way to win a long rally. He fires a lightning bolt of a forehand down the line – it may even have flashed around the net post – to get to 40-0. The crowd gasp. And from there he holds to love. Proof there that Djokovic is the best in the business. A stunning shot. So much for last night’s storm, that was more impressive.
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Fifth set: Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 1-3 Djokovic* (*denotes next server)
Djokovic is feeling in a charitable mood on the opening point as he throws in an error. 15-0. Which becomes 30-0. A strong serve out wide, Djokovic returns down the middle, before Murray goes back behind – a smart move on the clay – which leaves Djokovic slipping and sliding on the red dirt. 40-0, 40-15, game. Murray is on the board but still has an awful lot to do to turn this around.
Fifth set: *Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 0-3 Djokovic (*denotes next server)
After all of Murray’s hard work to force a deciding set, that was such a frustrating, disappointing way to lose serve. The crowd sound annoyed too. If you give Djokovic an inch, he’ll take a mile. And he holds to 30 to put three unanswered games on the board in this set.
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Fifth set: Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 0-2 Djokovic* (*denotes next server)
“I think one of the things that sometimes gets ignored about tennis players is just how hard they must be,” writes David Wall. “When you watch both the power that these two are hitting regulation ground-strokes, and the endurance they have within points let alone matches, it’s almost frightening. I certainly wouldn’t want to be contesting a 50-50 tackle in a congested midfield during a kick-about with either of these two. I can’t imagine too many people would start trouble with them in a bar.” If you gave them a drink first David you may stand a chance – they’re both so dedicated to their trade that they barely let a drop of the poison pass their lips. I reckon you could have a tipsy Murray or Djokovic.
But anyway, I digress. In the blink of an eye Djokovic gets to 0-40 on Murray’s serve. Three break points. Djokovic then plays some mind games with his returning position, moving around as Murray goes into his second serve motion, but Murray is unaffected. 15-40. However, Murray is unable to reduce the arrears any further and is broken to 15, having thrown in four errors in the game.
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Fifth set: *Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 0-1 Djokovic (*denotes next server)
So, who’s your money on now? I must admit I didn’t favour Murray before the match, I just felt that Djokovic sensed this was his moment to make history, but perhaps that was underestimating the way Murray has played on clay this season. It would be a stunning effort to come back from two sets to love down to beat Djokovic of all people in a grand slam semi-final. And already the Djokovic serve is under pressure in this final set. Murray finds his way to deuce, but he then slaps his shot into the net, a rare error from the Scot. Advantage Djokovic. And from there Djokovic holds, courtesy of a stunning inside-out forehand down the line.
5th set records: Djokovic 23-8, Murray 17-6. Tied 1-1 in 5th set head-to-heads.
— Ravi Ubha (@raviubha) June 6, 2015
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Djokovic looks nearly invincible all year, mows down field in Paris, 17-0 in sets - and now he is fighting for his French Open dream. #RG15
— Douglas Robson (@dougrobson) June 6, 2015
Fantastic effort from Murray to win the fourth set and level the match. Has barely missed a ball since restart. Can he maintain this?
— Simon Cambers (@scambers73) June 6, 2015
Murray wins the fourth set 7-5!
Djokovic won’t give this set up without a fight though. He somehow digs the ball out of the dirt to put away a winner to go 0-15 up. Murray levels at 15-all, then forges ahead when Djokovic flashes an attempted pass wide. Murray is two points away from taking this into a fifth set. The pair go down the middle at each other, before taking each other on in a cross-court duel, and again, Murray wins another lengthy baseline rally. 40-15. Two set points. Murray serves deep and true, but Djokovic, arguably the best returner in the business, gets it back and Murray goes on to net. 40-30. One more set point. Murray goes down the middle on the serve, and Djokovic goes on to make the error!. Remarkable from Murray. He affords himself a little fist pump before striding back to his chair to ponder what he needs to do in the fifth set. More of the same would do nicely, Andy.
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Murray lifts a little, takes some risk, plays great defense and earns the break. He'll serve to even the match at 6-5. #RG15
— Douglas Robson (@dougrobson) June 6, 2015
Murray breaks to lead 6-5. He's putting in an almost unbelievable amount of effort into each point. The match deserves a decider.
— Simon Cambers (@scambers73) June 6, 2015
Fourth set: *Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-5 Djokovic (*denotes next server)
Both players are looking so sharp, they duke it out from the back of the court on the opening point, which goes on and on and on – for 32 shots to be exact – before Murray somehow emerges victorious. Just as yesterday, the longer the points go on, the more chance Murray appears to have of winning them. And from 0-15 Murray gets himself to 15-40. Two break points for Murray. Djokovic wallops a forehand to Murray’s right, Murray can only scoop it back and Djokovic sends a smash into t’other corner to save the first break point. For a brief moment it looks like Djokovic has put another winner away but it’s called long! Murray has broken and will serve for the fourth set!
Fourth set: Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 5-5 Djokovic* (*denotes next server)
Murray goes 15-0 up, there hasn’t been a single point against serve since the resumption. Yesterday they both seemed to be sparring for the first half of the opening set, just sounding each other out, but they’ve started far more aggressively today. 30-0. 40-0. But here’s a point against the server! Djokovic sets things up by whipping an inside-out forehand, before putting away a forehand drive volley. No bother for Murray, though, he sends down an ace and we’re back level in the fourth set.
Fourth set: *Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 4-5 Djokovic (*denotes next server)
So, you can guess how this plays out, right? 15-0. 30-0. 40-0. Game, as Murray’s shot clips the tape and drops into the tramlines. There may even have been a glimpse of the old sweary Murray there, I didn’t quite catch what he said, but the commentators offer their apologies. And Simon McMahon’s back: “Djokovic is certainly capable of that, no doubt, and I expect him to win the title in Paris, but I’d be surprised if Andy didn’t win either Wimbledon or the US Open. But then, I expect Andy to win The Derby and The Open too.”
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Fourth set: Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 4-4 Djokovic* (*denotes next server)
One of the main reasons for Murray forcing his way back into the contest yesterday was the way his serve steadily improved throughout the three and a half sets, and he needs to start where he left off yesterday. He isn’t, however, able to use his serve to boss the first point, the pair go back and forth, back and forth, but Djokovic blinks first by sending a lob just long. 15-0. Murray clenches his fist before making it 30-0. Which becomes 40-0 as Djokovic bludgeons a backhand beyond the baseline. Another wayward backhand from Djokovic (after a fierce forehand down the line from Murray) and that’s the game. Whatever Djokovic can do ... Murray replies by also holding serve to love.
Fourth set: *Murray 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 3-4 Djokovic (*denotes next server)
Mesdames et messieurs, play has resumed with Djokovic serving. Djokovic starts strongly, firing a serve down the T, bossing the point from the off, and forcing Murray to loop long. 15-0. Again Djokovic is the aggressor, rounding things off with an overhead which whistles past Murray’s left wing. 30-0. Make that 40-0, with an unreturned serve. The pair engage in a more lengthy exchange on the fourth point, before Djokovic settles matters with a delightful drop shot. Faultless from the world No1. And the pressure is now on Murray to hold serve.
The players are back on the battleground, walking on court to plenty of applause from the cheap seats at the back but not so much from the absent well-heeled patrons at the front, who aren’t exactly known for their punctuality. They’ll be enjoying a leisurely lunch before taking to their seats. They better hope this goes to five. And apologies, scratch what I said about this being on ITV4, it’s been moved to ITV1.
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“Morning Katy,” writes Simon McMahon. “I know this may sound like I’m getting the excuses in early, but whatever happens today I think this clay court season may have been a turning point for Murray, maybe even the start of part two of his grand slam winning career. I know he’s made the semis at Roland Garros before, but without really being a genuine contender for the title. That’s changed now. Murray can win all four slams and must go to Wimbledon and New York with a superb chance of adding to his grand slam tally. But I’m getting ahead of myself. There’s a match to be won. COME ON ANDY!!”
This was certainly the year Murray became a man on clay, irrespective of what happens today. His two titles in Munich and Madrid are proof of that. But do you think Simon, if Djokovic wins today and takes the title tomorrow, that the momentum of a career grand slam could carry him to a calendar one?
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Murray 5-1 to beat Djokovic. Take it. Fair odds
— kevin mitchell (@kevinmitchell50) June 6, 2015
If you’re in the UK and watching ITV4 at the moment, wondering why the TT highlights are on, one of my colleagues has assured me the tennis will be coming on shortly. It’s also on Eurosport.
Preamble
Hello! Welcome to part deux of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic’s French Open semi-final, which could be over in as few as three games if Djokovic has his way or could stretch into a fifth-set finale if Murray has his. To recap: Djokovic was leading 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 3-3 last night when the players were pulled off court due to an imminent storm. The world No1 was untouchable in the first two sets, before Murray nicked the third (the first set Djokovic had dropped this tournament) and the two players went toe to toe in the fourth. Who will the overnight delay have favoured? It’s hard to say, both are such hardened match players, though it is possible to say with some certainty that Stan Wawrinka will be hoping this one goes the distance while he enjoys a day off before tomorrow’s final.
Rain interruptions in grand slam semi-finals haven’t always been too kind on Britain. Tim Henman led Goran Ivanisevic by two sets to one at Wimbledon in 2001 before the Great British weather messed things up and Henman went on to lose in five. But of course Murray is a different beast to Henman and won his first major semi-final – against Rafa Nadal at the 2008 US Open – having been forced to sleep on it.
Murray may feel the overnight pressure was on Djokovic as the leader in this match, plus the Scot spoke beforehand about the weight of history his opponent must be feeling so close to securing a career grand slam. But Djokovic, with his limbs of elastic and nerves of steel, doesn’t get nervous. Does he?
The players will be on court at: 12pm BST/1pm CET.
Which gives you enough time to: read Kevin Mitchell’s take on yesterday’s proceedings here.
