French Open 2015 Semi-Finals: Bracket Results and Finals Draw Schedule
Stan Wawrinka became the first player to qualify for the men's final of the 2015 French Open on Friday, beating local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets. The other semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray was suspended due to rain, with the Serb leading two sets to one.
Djokovic appeared to be in control, but Murray fought back late in the third set, giving himself hope when the match resumes on Saturday. Meanwhile, Wawrinka will have an extra day of rest to prepare for his second-ever Grand Slam final.
Wawrinka Beats Tsonga: 6-3, 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
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Wawrinka broke the French hearts with a four-set win over Tsonga, who failed in his bid to become the first French player to qualify for the final of Roland Garros since 1988. He certainly had his chances against Wawrinka, failing to capitalise on a multitude of break chances.
Speaking to reporters after the match, it was obvious he knew he could have gotten so much more out of the match:
Tsonga converted just one of 17 break chances, and he missed all six of his chances in the third set. It would prove to be pivotal, as Wawrinka managed to grab the tiebreak in the scorching heat and finish the match in the fourth set.
Both players served up some great shots, to the delight of the crowd, which couldn't escape the blazing sun:
Wawrinka didn't play anywhere near his best on Friday, and his serve in particular was an area for concern. Djokovic and Murray are both experts at stepping into their returns and will punish Wawrinka if his struggles continue.
That said, the Swiss star shouldn't be counted out. Bet365 certainly feel he's now established himself as one of the top players on tour:
An extra day of rest is a massive advantage for Wawrinka, particularly if Murray and Djokovic continue battling the way they did on Friday. Both players were visibly exhausted due to the high amount of long rallies, and how well the winner of their match recovers will play a huge role in the final.
Djokovic Leads Murray: 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 3-3
Murray once again showed his character on Friday, after Djokovic took control of the match in the first two sets and seemed to be on the verge of booking his spot in the final.
A late rally from Murray kept the match alive, and as shared by Sky Sports Tennis, poor weather means the two will return to the court on Saturday:
On paper, this match looked very evenly matched, with both sporting perfect records on clay in 2015, via Bet365:
Djokovic easily dominated the opening stages with smooth, crisp tennis from the baseline, however, and he clearly felt more comfortable playing in the heat than his opponent. Both men were forced to move a lot, but in the long rallies, Djokovic always seemed to have the upper hand.
The first two sets were over in the blink of an eye, and the Joker appeared to be on his way to a meeting with Wawrinka in the final. But as shared by Chris Evert, the Scot refused to just lie down and fought his way back into the match:
The two seemed evenly matched in the fourth set until the rain arrived, and it looks as if the rest of this match should play out in similar fashion.
Murray and Djokovic appear to be the two strongest players left in the tournament, but without a rest day to recover from the semi-final, neither will have fresh legs during the final. Whoever wins, he better do it fast.
Of the two, Djokovic struggles the least with consistency, and you can expect him to carry over his form from Friday into Saturday's match. Unless Murray has more incredible heroics in store, Djokovic should be able to win this one in four sets.
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