Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray: Score and Reaction from 2015 French Open

It took an extra day due to rain and darkness, but Novak Djokovic is heading to the 2015 French Open men's final after finishing off Andy Murray in five sets (6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1) Saturday. The Serbian sensation will face off with Stan Wawrinka in the championship match Sunday.

Before the match, Murray knew he had a tall task ahead of him in eight-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic. From the Guardian's Kevin Mitchell: "We've played each other a bunch, played in many big matches. We've played in all the other slams except this one," Murray said. "So it's going to be a great challenge. I'm aware that it's going to be extremely tough."

Both players returned to the court in good form, holding their first service games. Stewart Fisher of the Herald highlighted the strong serving from both:

It was Murray who struck first on the return. He played magnificent defense to take control of Djokovic's third service game of the day to earn a break, giving himself a chance to serve out the set to level the match.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

David Law of BBC 5 Live gave high praise to Murray's level of play:

Murray didn't flinch while serving for the set, either. Djokovic didn't play poorly, but Murray was doing just a little bit more each point with his legs.

Piers Newbery of BBC Sport recapped the final games of the fourth set:

British Tennis spotlighted the comeback effort:

Djokovic responded like a champion early in the fifth. He secured an early break and quickly consolidated it to grab a 3-0 lead. His ball striking, which was a little erratic late in the fourth, was back on target to open the deciding set.

Christopher Clarey of the New York Times noted the lack of margin for error for the No. 3 seed:

Djokovic was able to break again in the sixth game to make it 5-1 and close out the match on serve. Murray deserves credit for his inspired play to force the match to go the distance, but the top-ranked player in the world was too much in the end.

ESPN Tennis showcased Djokovic's run of success:

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Novak Djokovic beats Murray 6-3 6-3 5-7 5-7 6-1 for 28th straight win and is now one match from a Career Slam. #RG15 pic.twitter.com/frAUmcRNYU

— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) June 6, 2015"

Carole Bouchard of the Yellow Ball Corner provided some insight into why the 28-year-old is so tough to beat:

After the match, Djokovic had nothing but praise for Murray, according to ATP.com:

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"I don't think I was lucky," Djokovic said. "I think I was playing some great tennis yesterday. He found his game late in the third. I had many opportunities to finish the match in straight sets, but credit to Andy.

"He showed why he's one of the biggest competitors and fighters on the tour. A bit different conditions, with sun and then later in the evening it got a bit slower. He was using his variety in the game very well. It was a really tough match, over four hours all together, yesterday and today. No different from any other match that we played against each other. It's always a thriller, always a marathon.

"He just came up with some great shots, great points. I want to congratulate him for a great tournament and a great fight, and I wish him all the best."

"

"This is the kind of situation that you work for...to play [vs] one of your biggest rivals & fight for major titles," Djokovic continued, according to Roland Garros' official Twitter feed. 

The final will mark the 21st meeting between Djokovic and Wawrinka, and the Serbian holds a 17-3 edge. That includes a 5-1 record on clay, with the only loss coming when Djokovic was forced to retire from a match in 2006. Djokovic has won all but one of their past 17 encounters, with the sole loss coming in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Australian Open in a fifth-set tiebreaker.

As such, Djokovic will be a heavy favorite against Wawrinka as he attempts to complete the career Grand Slam. He's found a comfort level on the surface, having not dropped a match on clay in 2015. He also knocked off nine-time French Open champ Rafael Nadal along the way in straight sets in the quarterfinals.

If the top seed's play drops off a bit due to fatigue and Wawrinka is able to take advantage with his trademark backhand, he could pull off the surprising upset Sunday. Given Djokovic's history against Wawrinka and his recent mastery of clay, however, it'll be an uphill battle for the No. 8 seed.