Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka will be facing each other for the 18th time in their careers and for the second straight year in the French Open semifinals when they meet again on Friday.
Murray is leading the head-to-head series 10-7 after beating Wawrinka twice in 2016, including at Roland Garros via a 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 decision. The top-ranked Scot also cruised 6-4, 6-2 at the World Tour Finals en route to the title there and the year-end No. 1 ranking.
This season has been a considerably different story for Murray, but he remains comfortably atop the rankings thanks in part to Novak Djokovic’s slump. Although the three-time Grand Slam champion is a mediocre 21-7 in 2017, he is picking up the pace this fortnight. Murray booked a spot in the semis for the fifth time in his last six appearances with wins over Andrey Kuznetsov, Martin Klizan, Juan Martin Del Potro, Karen Khachanov, and Kei Nishikori.
“As you get through the matches, you gain in confidence,” the No. 1 seed explained after beating Nishikori. “I didn’t feel like I played great tennis today. It’s a huge step in the right direction for me. Anyone can win matches when they are playing well; it’s winning when you’re not playing your best (that) is more impressive. So I’m happy about that.”
“I think he’s struggling a little bit since the beginning of the year,” Wawrinka said of Murray, “but he’s in the semifinal. So a champion like him, when they find a way to win matches, he’s playing better and better. So I expect him to play his best tennis…. It’s going to be interesting match, for sure. Last year I was playing really well. I was confident. He was playing better than me I remember on that court. In the semifinal, he was really aggressive in his game. He was pushing me all the time, so (it) was tough for me to find any solution last year.
“But again, it’s a different year.”
Wawrinka has what Murray still lacks–a Coupe des Mousquetaires. The third-ranked Swiss triumphed at this tournament in 2015 and made a return trip to the semis last spring before falling to Murray. Wawrinka has not been at his absolute best in 2017, but he is heating up at just the right time. His nine-match winning streak includes a title in Geneva and victories this fortnight over Jozef Kovalik, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Fabio Fognini, Gael Monfils, and Marin Cilic. Like Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem on the other side of the draw, Wawrinka has not dropped a single set.
It is no surprise that Murray got away with rather pedestrian performances against Nishikori and in his first two matches. That will not cut it against Wawrinka, who always plays better in majors than he does at other events and is 17-1 in his last 18 matches at Roland Garros.
Pick: Wawrinka in 4
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WWW?
Stan in four.
Stan in 4
Murray in 5.
Wawrinka in 4, maybe 5.
Stan in 5, and will make it interesting against Rafa in final, but won’t be enough for 2nd RG
Murray is finding his game again. I’m hoping he can find his level on clay from last year where he was second only to Djokovic on clay going 18-3 with losses to only Nole (2) and Rafa, winning Rome and making FO final along the way.
(and beating CryBaby in four at RG along the way I might add.)
Murray in 3 and loses to Nadal in final
Murray in 3 is no doubt the least likely result in my mind.
Looking good now that AM won the first set!
Stan in 3, with 2 tight sets.
Wawrinka in 3
Andy over Stan in 5. Andy has had such bad luck this year, dang it. And though he’s not playing his best, I think he’ll seize the moment and leave it all out there to post his best performance so far in 2017 – if he’s feeling good, he’ll fight like hell. Go Andy!
Agree with rc!!….Andy in 5!!
Andy has done well to get this far. But he will need to play better than he did against Nishi. He has made it further than I thought he would. I said that I would not pick him anymore until he showed me something. It’s been ugly at times, but he’s in the semis.
Stan is playing better now. He seems to be the obvious pick. But I am thinking that If Murray can raise his level of play, then he could have a shot at winning this match. I do think he will go out there and give it his best. Stan is tough when he gets going.
@Benny B
^^Murray in 3 is no doubt the least likely result in my mind.^^
That is exactly why I’m expecting Andy to prevail in 5 roller coaster sets. He will summon up that cussed Scottish stubbornness that carried him to No.1.
No one seems to be giving Murray a shot but he may surprise us all … http://www.138mph.com/will-wawrinka-shatter-the-british-hopes/
Yep…I like Wka in 4.
Stan struggling to find the range early on, but he’s not missing by much and still basically controlling play. The FH is an absolute monster. Murray serving and playing well and hanging in there. Some lovely drop shots to keep Stan guessing.
The adrenalin is pumping now for Wawrinka
Incredible defence by Murray to break back. Stan has to be careful not to get frustrated and go for too much. He has to get his 1st serve % up over 50%.
Wawrinka is the tentative one. Not playing relaxed like he did 2 years ago. Murray’s defense and tenacity makes him uncomfortable.
Yes!!!….1st in hand Andy!!!….You’re a BEAST!!…C’mon!!
What a TB! That TB itself was a microcosm of set 1 with the momentum swinging one way and the other and a mix of winners and UFEs
1st set i mean!!Hehe..
How many fuckin times is Wawrinka gonna miss one of Murray’s godforsaken lobs. That 5-3 game made me want to vomit. Stan hit like 25 unforced errors and still should’ve won the set. Honestly Stan blew that. He’s either losing or winning points. I think eventually Murray’s defensive armor will crack and Stanimal will find his range and start unleashing more winners.
Murray is just so smart. He stole that set from Stan.
Stan has himself to blame, didn’t serve well where it mattered esp that SP in the TB.
It’s not his serve it’s his fantastic tendency to just fuck off on random shots and miss balls thirty feet out or in the net. Sorry I just don’t want to see Rafa beating Murray easy in the final I at least want a good final and no offense to Murray but right now I don’t see Murray even testing Rafa in a French Open final. That would be the shock of the century for me if Murray won this then won against Rafa in the final. I’d be genuinely blown away.
Murray will be flattening out his shots a lot more against Rafa!
Andy’s defensive skills are simply amazing! If Murray continues serving well Wawa will be sent packing sooner than later…
Wawrinka just needs to play his measured clay court game and he wins. If he gets sucked into Murray’s tactics and starts rushing abs making poor errors on critical points, he will lose. Simple as that
Murray’s tactical genius defeating Wawrinka. Even though I enjoy stan’s brand of tennis but it is always a joy to see tactical play defeating raw power. Stan has more to his game than raw power but it is predominantly dependant on raw power .
Murray is in Stan’s head at the moment I believe.
VR, while I enjoy tactical play, I feel Murray is too defensive for my liking; I still prefer Rafa’s with more offensive fire power, even though I may be biased.
I prefer Rafa’s and Fed’s game over all others’ TBH. The two of them are just so good! Djoko when in ‘god’ mode was a pleasure to watch – AO 2016 SF and F for egs; if not he may fall into Murray’s category when he’s not playing well and turns defensive.
I like Davydenko’s game too, after Fedal’s. Goffin and Kei play a bit like him but still no where near imo.
Murray wrote a column for BBC yesterday and he seemed confident heading into this match. He also expressed respect for Stan but there was one interesting bit.
He said that stan played really well at last year’s USO to win and he was really good in his FO 2015 run as well and he respects that. NOTE that he did not mention the AO 2014 final… I was glad to read because some people have totally dismissed how rafa was barely playing and say stan was too good in that final. So, it was good to read.
Wow beautiful backhand winner DTL from Stan
How tough are these top players. They have written each of the big 4 off at different stages and they come back with a vengeance. It is amazing how Murray has managed to come back at the least favorite of his slams especially after the sort of year he has had. He could again be near his best on the grass if he keeps this up. Murray seems pumped up for this. No self berating!
I am happy about Murray. People were mocking him and the guy was in shambles. I was kind of feeling bad for him…. I am happy he is back playing well
Shirley that 5th game of the second set is as good as GSM Murray! Will break Stan nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…….
Frankly I just woke up – so I missed it.
But I was dreaming that I was listening to Stan and he was showing me how he would beat Andy on grass, meanwhile he told me to go practice with Donna. No kidding. I was a rare one.
“It” was a rare on… no I sheesh.
Go Andy!
hahaha
Andy’s or should I say Ivan’s strategy works well against this Wawa! Andy needs to be patient and Wawa will self destruct..unless Wawa decided to shorten points and refused to get sucked into Murray’s marathon dance on the court…
It can never underestimate Murray when Lendl is in his corner. Murray is playing a classic band of tennis.
What a backhand from Stanimal. World class qualities.
Wawrinka has too much game for Muzz on this surface. If he loses, it was 100% mental.
Agreed
Come on Andy, fight! Get the next set!!
Stan hitting FH at average speed of 135 kph (84 mph), that’s huge, like Thiem’s!
yeah but Thiem’s is so much heavier
Stan starts the third set hitting very well and very aggressive; I think Murray will have troubles countering that.
Stan is more locked in now. A lot more muted and focused. I almost feel like he was sort of going for everything in set one and being way too overconfident. Now he has realized he just has to play his normal clay court bully ball game and stay solid with his game plan.
I see that Murray won the first set and Stan won the second. But now it looks like Stan has turned it up a notch to go up 3-0.
At least it’s going to four sets. Murray needs to get it together.
Yes the pressure will be on Stan in the 4th set. Andy’s chance to sneak out a win in the 4th…then blitz Stan in the 5th, maybe.
Yeah, Wawa being more agressive at this point, going to the net is doing a lot of damage to Andy’s long points strategy… and he is also assisted by numerous Andy’s UEs…this combination is a death sentence for Murray…
Good stuff from Andy.
Stan hanging tough.
Deuce. This game could be critical.
Wow! Murray breaks back! From the little I have seen since I started watching, nurratvis playing much better than in his previous matches. He looks more like himself.
The crowd are definitely rooting for WaWa.
And Andy has upped his level. Looking like it will be a 5-setter
Andy breaks. Andy showing strength of mind.
This is what I have not seen from Andy. Staying tough and fighting back. He’s returning well, too.
This looks like it’s going to be a dog fight.
Stan still has that wicked one handed backhand.
Now Stan has two break points.
At this pace the match won’t be over before 5 pm… ?
Murray being more aggressive.
Deuce now. These two really going at it.
Now that’s how you use the drop shot!
Both guys really bringing it.
What a match!
Bad miss from Murray to get broken again.
This thing looks like it’s going the distance.
Brilliant point from Stan.
Another blistering forehand from Stan to fight off break point.
Murray answers by breaking again with a brilliant backhand of his own! This is the best he’s looked in a long time.
The smartest move WaWa ever made was managing to lure Magnus Norman away from Andy to be his coach.
4 consecutive breaks with a laser of a CC BH by Murray
Murray showing how to use the drop shot now.
Impressive from Murray. This match can still go either way. 55:45 in favour of Wawrinka.
Lovely hold, showing defensive brilliance. hehe 4-4
Never mind about what I said about Stan improving his focus.
WaWa getting rattled but he held strong and saved the break points. Andy missed his chances and now has to hold his serve or it will be a long way back.
This match is on a tight rope.
I’m at work sneaking to the bathroom 15 times to watch this awesome match on my cell phone
Murray has a chance here at 0-30.
This is just the entree for Nadal/Theim. That match could be a classic for the ages.
Is that match going to follow this one? Because this one looks to be going awhile.
Wow. Andy pulls off the break. All he has to do is serve out this set.
Wow, a wall-like Andy is depressing Wawa! Great from Andy! Now he is taking this set to lead 2:1!! This might as well be it for Wawa.,,
Murray ain’t no.1 for no reason. Defense and tenacity is of the highest order.
Woohohohoho!….Sir Andy is awesome!!Rafa will have his hands full if both can make it to the final!!
Wow! Andy gets the fourth set!
Hehe! Third NNY
Nny can’t wait to see her darling play obviously!!Hehe..
THIRD!
I got it! THIRD!
Yes I can’t wait for Rafa!
Wawrinka’s got too passive.
Wawrinka will go into God mode next set, hopefully.
There’s no punch to the temple now wawa??
You said it MA……..
ed!…I have to say sorry to wawa’s fan..but i think put a finger or punch his temple is a little bit OTT…
That is set stealing!!! world no 1 for a reason
Forgot to mention AND win the match. Although that means the prospect of my No.1 favourite against my No.2 favourite in the final.
I have to alter my prediction…Andy in 4!!…Make it quick Andy!!Can’t wait to see Rafa!!
Now I’m cheering for Stan to get a set. Don’t give up Stanley!
Mira, this may go five sets and Rafa may have his match spread over two days; that’s why I wasn’t cheering for Murray to win the third set, I was cheering for Stan when he was leading 3-1. I can’t stand Murray’s matches, they always went on like forever!
Hahaha..I understand Lucky!..but,what if i cheer for Stan and he win?…We don’t want his dangerous BH anywhere near our Rafa right?
Mira, Stan’s SHBH won’t be lethal vs Rafa’s lefty topspin FH. Murray playing like this is more dangerous, and he’ll drag you into a war of attrition, and that’s why deep down, I don’t wish to see Murray in the final.
Okay Lucky!I trust your judgement…
Wawa is not having his best day out there, but it has a lot to do with Andy’s defensive game. As others have said, it’s really frustrating Stan. This match actually reminds me a bit of the Wawa v Monfils match, where Monfils was able to stifle Stan repeatedly by retrieving well and tracking down just about anything. The problem was, Monfils was not nearly as good at finishing off points, especially the big ones. He probably should’ve had at least one set in that match, but went home empty-handed, despite troubling Stan on serve for like 2/3 of the match.
Good observation, Duke. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many overheads returned. Murray was a defensive beast in this match, and it definitely frustrated Stan. OTOH, I don’t think he was hitting with as much conviction as he should have on some of those overheads/short balls.
WaWa manages to stave of the BPs again.
Massive hold that one. Wawrinka could’ve been packing his bags.
How many BPs has Andy failed to convert in this match so far?
Murray is just so comfortable out there. If he wins this he’s a chance in the final.
Maybe, but Murray’s usually pretty average in finals, and this would probably be against Nadal on clay. In the somewhat less likely event of Thiem/Murray, yeah that could be quite interesting.
Stan looks spent physically; Murray just grinding Stan down to get the win. If this goes five sets, it’ll favor Murray the fitter of the two.
These guys are having a classic
What a shot by Wawrinka!!
Stan is so not sharp, not alert and he’s losing those cat and mouse points to Murray. Murray has better court craft than Stan, no wonder he’s doing better in his career than Stan even though Stan has bigger weapons.
I like this match. hahahaha Stan with some court craft of his own there 😀
Stupid organizers for arranging the match so late!Why couldn’t they start this match a little earlier??Say at 11 or 12?What if Rafa’s match can’t be finish today??Urgh!!
It’s only just after 5 pm in Paris, isn’t it?
If there’s a fifth set and, knowing Murray, and there’s no TB in the fifth set, the match will go on forever!
Of course rc!..and this match goes to 5th sets…and Rafa maybe will go on court at 6:30/7?…and his match maybe will drag to 3 hours or so?And certainly at that time the official will postpone the match right?Like what happened to Sascha’s?And cold condition also not favour Rafa…
Even if this goes to five and the last set takes 1hr, there will still probably be a good 3 1/2 hrs for Rafa’s match to be played, and those two guys will be playing shorter, aggressive tennis I think.
…and we’re going five!
Wawrinka’s been given his chance. Will he take it!
😀 5 sets. Go Andy!
Defense from Murray is nuts. Wawrinka’s been very patient this set.
So it’s going five sets. I sensed it could happen.
If Rafa’s match goes long, then that could be a problem. Look st how long this match is going.
This is a absolute classic when you consider the strategies.
Stan has 74 winners and 70 UE’s.
Agree Courier. Feels like I’m watching a classic – well, lets if they keep it as interesting right until the end. I picked Andy in five but anything can happen.
Early break for Stan. Oh dear and he holds 2-0
An absolute classic, this match wad good enough to be a final.
Wawrinka’s looking very relaxed
Stan looks the fresher of the two; Murray probably spends too much energy running.
Stan seems to have the momentum now.
Stan is upping his ‘point at my head’ game, as well as his game in general.
That may be it. Stan up a double break. Murray just may have run out of gas.
lol
Are we there yet?
Will this match ever end?
Stan now has 2 breaks so there is hope that it won’t be a marathon..
This may end quickly now if Murray doesn’t have anything left.
Let’s go Andy, come on! Get fired up before it’s too late.
This could have ended in 3 sets if Stan didn’t keep handing his breaks back.
NO… bagel’s suck in the 5th!
I just think Andy is all used up. Nothing left.
How long will there be between this match ending and the next one starting 15-20 minutes?
I think Murray is done, he’s spending too much energy running and retrieving.
I thought Stan looked the more tired of the two in the third set, but it ends up he’s the fitter of the two. Stan about to bagel Murray in this final set!
It’s a shame that it ends this way after four great sets of tennis. But as it is Rafa’s match is gettIng a very late start.
The classless and boorish French suck.
Carole Bouchard @carole_bouchard
A bit rough now for Andy… Tried his hardest out there for 4 hours and they’re still cheering on him missing or getting beaten.
How do they not start the semis before 12:45 PM?
#OnlyInParis
It wouldn’t be such a bad decision…if the stadium actually had a roof and lights so that you could play at night.
At least Andy won’t get bageled.
So you’re agreeing with me.
Yes, and just making the related point that they need to update their arenas so that they can actually play night matches and not get interrupted by bad light.
RG actually is working on updating arenas but it’s moving at something slower than a snail’s pace.
Ah okay, thanks for the info.
Bagel avoided!
Good for Andy for staying in there and trying right to the end.
That’s it! Stan wins.
Stanimal indeed! He is going to be in another GS final :O
Great winner to finish it from Stan. He looked almost shot earlier in that match, but came back and somehow outlasted Muzz.
So he has given beatdowns to Murray, Federer and Djoko at the FO. Will Rafa be next? Doh!
What a BHDTL winner to finish the match!
With this win, Stan (and Rafa) have pushed Djoko out of top three, for the first time since 2009!
Sad for Andy.
Don’t worry Murray will win Wimbledon
I thought that Andy would win when he went up two sets to one. But this is a good result for him. He can move ahead to Wimbledon now. He took it to the limit and just ran out of steam.
I predict Wawrinka will go into God mode in the final after this
If there is one player against whom even god mode may not be enough, it is Rafa!
Personally, I pray that we get a God-Mode Stan vs. God-Mode Rafa in the final! Their would be a revenge factor for Rafa for AO 2014, as well as vindication factor for Stan knowing that he wasn’t playing a healthy Rafa in AO 2014. I honestly feel like they both deserve another shot at each other in a slam final. And where better than RG, where they both have their favorite surface? I really do hope we that final…
*There
*GET that final… I swear I’m not Donald Trump…
Murray vs Stan is becoming a rivalry now, Murray is 10-8 vs Stan now; and they’re 3-3 in slams.
87 winners for Stan and only 77 UE!
Wonderful performance!
VR, as a big Rafa fan, would you have preferred that Rafa’s potential final opponent to be Stan or Andy? I meant to ask before the semis started, but I forgot.
Would have preferred Murray but if Rafa plays really well today, I am confident he will handle Stan.
Thiem will definitely be good practice for facing Stan! Their games are pretty similar. Both heavy hitters. Thiem actually hits his ground strokes a couple mph faster than Stan’s. On the flip side, Stan is obviously much more experienced in big slam finals and best-of-five battles. But just in terms of style of play, I think they are pretty similar, not only in their backhands. They showed who has the hardest forehands in the tournament so far, and Thiem has a considerably harder forehand than everyone else. Stan was high on the list, maybe even #2 if I recall correctly. Rafa was on there, too, maybe #4. One of the coolest things about it was that Ostapenko was really high in the list! I actually haven’t even seen her play yet, but I hear she hits harder than almost anyone on WTA…
That’s alright Andy!..now go and prepare yourself for wimby!!
Yes, Andy did well to get to the semis and went the distance. Now he can get ready for Wimby!
Hope Rafa wins
They have to get the match started. The crowd has to leave and then the crowd for the second match has to get in.
Obvious now why the French put Rafa on second match of the day and started first match at 12:45.
Separate tickets so crowd has to clear out before second crowd comes in.
I’d have preferred Murray because boorish French will be firmly behind CB in the final.
That plus I really don’t like CB.
What?? I thought he was your favorite?! 😉
No the crowd is younger this time …I doubt it…it will be equal.
Let us not forget that everyone wants to witness history.if rafa wins 10th it will be historical and people will want to witness it.
Let us remember a stat. .Stan has won every gs final he has played till date but each of those wins were against seated incumbent world no 1. That won’t be the case this time. Neither Rafa or Thiem are world no 1.
Btw atul said 4.5 hour match and it lasted exactly 4.5 hours 🙂
They got them started as quickly as possible. Rafa missed an overhead smash.
That’s a good point, Sanju. If Stan faces Rafa and wants to win this title, he is going to have to play like he did in 2015 final in terms of dictating and bullying. If he doesn’t, Rafa will be all over him… And I’ve personally always doubted that Stan could ever replicate that 2015 final performance ever again, so I will remain skeptical until I see him do it again.
Thiem’s power impressive. Rafa under pressure
Very bad backhand errors from Rafa… he has set up some points and dumped backhands into the net
Thiem’s backhand technique is different. He uses his body so much and puts so much power on it a result. It is the biggest backhand when he cranks it (which he is TOTALLY doing it right now).
Also, I notice his backhadn on the run is kind of unique for a single hander. He slides into his backhands really well and amazingly hits with more open stance which you normally see from single handed backhands
Which is the right topic thread for this match? I am going back and forth.
Rafa has a chance here. 0-40
let’s all switch to the other one
vamos! The way Thiem is playing, this is not sustainable. He needs to get a bit more patient and then unleash his shots. Good going, Rafa
Thiem is going for too much. But I think that’s his game plan. Go for everything!
Not a worthy men GS sf to watch a match played with zero strategy, the first match is of high quality battle
Well, Murray doesn’t have the firepower of Rafa, so against Stan, Murray has to use all his court craft, his guile and defensive skills to do the job. Stan doesn’t have much strategy to offer either, just hits hard to blow his opponent off the court. Both Stan and Thiem are players who hit hard and it’s either hit or miss for them. Rafa had an easier time with Thiem as Rafa had the firepower to fight back, not relying solely on defensive skills, unlike Murray. In fact Rafa hit more winners than Thiem in the match.