Andy meets Novak in semis
Andy Murray beat David Ferrer 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, in the French Open quarterfinals on Wednesday to set up a last-four showdown with Novak Djokovic.
Third seed Murray made it 15 consecutive wins on clay this year by beating the number seven seed Ferrer and make it a disappointing day all round for Spain following nine-time champion Rafael Nadal's defeat to number one seed Djokovic earlier.
Murray becomes the first British player to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros on three separate occasions having previously been knocked out in the last four in 2011 and 2014.
In a remarkable first set on Court Suzanne Lenglen there were six breaks of serve -- three apiece -- before Murray eventually won it in a tiebreak.
Murray then took the second 6-2, breaking his opponent twice, and looked set to go on and secure victory with the minimum of fuss. The Scot was 3-0 up in the third set before he let the 2013 runner-up back into the match.
First Murray failed to convert a match point at 5-4 up on Ferrer's serve and then he was broken in the next game as the Spaniard forced a fourth set.
However, he could not maintain the fightback and the 28-year-old Murray ran away with the set, taking it 6-1 to seal victory after three hours and 16 minutes on court.
Meanwhile, Djokovic crushed nine-time champion Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 in their quarterfinal clash, condemning the great Spaniard to just his second defeat in 72 matches at Roland Garros.
It was world number one and top seed Djokovic's first win over defending champion Nadal in seven meetings in Paris, avenging his defeats in the 2012 and 2014 finals.
It also eased Djokovic, who fired 45 winners to Nadal's 16, closer to a first French Open title and the completion of a career Grand Slam.
Earlier on Tuesday Stan Wawrinka knocked Roger Federer out of the French Open quarterfinals to set up a last-four clash with home hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Wawrinka, the eighth seed, beat his more illustrious Swiss compatriot Federer in three sets 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
Fourteenth seed Tsonga was taken to five sets by Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori before prevailing 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3.
Federer, the second seed and 2009 champion at Roland Garros, had only ever lost twice in 18 previous meetings with Wawrinka but was well beaten on a windy Court Suzanne Lenglen.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion proved incapable of breaking his opponent's serve at all over the course of a match that lasted two hours and nine minutes.
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