Sport

Murray-Djokovic play is suspended until Saturday

Scotland's Andy Murray in action against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Friday Picture: AP
Scotland's Andy Murray in action against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Friday Picture: AP Scotland's Andy Murray in action against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Friday Picture: AP

ANDY MURRAY will have to continue his fightback from two sets down against Novak Djokovic on Saturday after their French Open semi-final was suspended due to bad light and impending rain.

Murray clawed back the third set in an enthralling contest on Philippe Chatrier, before the match was halted with the Scot trailing 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 3-3.

Bad light and an imminent storm means Murray and Djokovic will resume play at 12pm (IST) on Saturday as they look to book a meeting with Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in Sunday's final.

Djokovic has beaten Murray in each of their last seven meetings and the world number one looked certain to make it eight when he raced through two comfortable opening sets. Murray, however, defied the odds, producing some brilliant tennis to clinch the third and, at the time of suspension, it was arguably the Scot who was in the ascendancy.

Neither player will be happy with the extension given the additional rest Wawrinka now takes into the final, but Djokovic will be at least be grateful for the chance to take stock. Murray has never beaten Djokovic after losing the opening set and the Scot laid down a marker in the first game with a brilliant cross-court forehand winner.

The Serbian offered Murray some encouragement - not through his shot-making, but his body language - as he seemed to signal he was dizzy in the sweltering heat and unable to see clearly. A doctor was called for the change of ends but mysteriously sent away again, in echoes of the final in Melbourne when an injured Djokovic looked on the brink of collapse only to come storming back.

His recovery was swift again as Murray wafted a simple short forehand wide to give the world number one three break points at 4-3, and he showed no mercy, taking the first and then serving out to clinch the opening set. Murray tried to step inside the baseline to rush his opponent into errors, but Djokovic was unflappable and again it was a Murray mistake, this time a netted drive volley, that cost him dear as Djokovic took a second break to lead 3-2.

The top seed was comfortable on his serve and ruthless with his return, piling the pressure on the Murray second serve at every opportunity. Murray saved two more break points in the seventh game but he could not rescue the ninth as a wild smash long underlined his frustration and, at that stage, his opponent's superiority.

Dominant, Djokovic began to enjoy himself, with one angled backhand volley in particular sparking an otherwise docile French crowd into rapture. Murray, however, refused to be toyed with and at 5-5 he suddenly swung the momentum back in his favour with two scintillating winners, accompanied by beckoning gestures to the crowd.

His adrenaline still pumping, Murray took the break and then claimed the set, which was the first Djokovic had conceded all tournament. The stadium was rocking but Djokovic halted Murray's charge with a seven-minute medical time-out, called to attend to a troublesome hip.

Murray, however, would not be deterred. He won 10 points in a row, saving three break points and then breaking Djokovic to love to lead 3-2.

Just as the tide seemed fully to have turned, Djokovic broke back immediately, via another missed smash from Murray, to leave the match in the balance when the umpire called time.