ANDY MURRAY may have lost but tennis was the winner as Stan Wawrinka triumphed in a superb semi final.
Murray led by two sets to one but in the end the Swiss’ relentless attack overcame his tireless defence to earn a 6-7 6-3 5-7 7-6 6-1 victory.
Until Wawrinka ran away with the decider, this was the most compelling, high quality men’s match of the tournament.
Brutal in its physical and mental demands, brilliant in its level of tennis and intrigue, for four sets and more than four hours it was a stone-cold classic between two of tennis’ greatest warriors.
But Murray simply could not find enough to drag himself into a second consecutive French Open final and instead it will be 2015 champion Wawrinka who has the chance to win his fourth Grand Slam.
At least Murray avoided the humiliation of a 6-0 final set after his heroic efforts, but this was a match and an opponent too far for him after his difficult season.
Wawrinka could have won the match in three sets and the resilience he showed to bounce back from losing the first and third was just as impressive as his play.
Wawrinka will probably never understand how he lost the first set.
Not that Murray was under-par, far from it. But the Swiss was on the front foot, spraying winners around the court.
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His latest flashing forehand brought the first break of the match and a chance to serve for the set at 5-3. But Murray struck back immediately, with the help of a superb defensive lob.
The Scot led 4-2 in the tiebreak and should have held two set points at 6-4, only to fail to put enough on a forehand and then find himself a set point down after another exciting rally ended with Wawrinka roaring in triumph.
But the Swiss faltered, netting a backhand and then succumbing to two Murray lobs in a brilliant exchange which brought up at set point for the world No 1. He took it on a second serve when his opponent put his forehand return in the net.
Murray started the second set well, but had to save a break point in a marathon fifth game, yelling “Come on!” when he did so.
The tension was rising, too, as Wawrinka grew frustrated with how long his opponent was taking to serve.
But he did not have long to wait for his moment. A Murray double fault brought up three break points against him in his next service game and his opponent converted the first of them.
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Wawrinka, unlike Murray, initially capitalised on the change in momentum, taking the set and breaking serve early in the third as part of that seven-game streak.
And so began the pivotal moments of an incredible match.
Murray seemed to be running out of gas, but he still had plenty of heart left.
The Scot dug in, breaking back to 2-3 only to lose his serve again after a long sixth game. But back he came, taking the third break point of a compelling seventh.
Murray was sensational to make it 4-4 but missed two chances for a break in the next game, twice sending a backhand into the net.
But after a good hold, he finally pulled ahead when yet another incredible retrieval of a Wawrinka smash brought up three break points, the second of which he took.
An outrageous volley and three more points later, and somehow Murray had won the third set.
He could have moved quickly ahead in the fourth, with Wawrinka on the ropes, but an opportunity to turn the screw in the third game came and went.
The level of tennis and tension didn’t drop as the match powered on through its fourth hour.
Even seasoned Murray-watchers were letting out involuntary cries of wonder at some of his play as he tried to break Wawrinka’s will.
But the Swiss just wouldn’t yield and roared in defiance when he pulled off a jaw-dropping forehand down the line at a crucial moment.
The crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier rose to him when he won another incredible rally in the 10th game.
And so to another tiebreak.
Wawrinka took the initiative with a crashing forehand winner and led 4-2 when Murray put an attempted dropshot into the net.
A long forehand from the Scot gave the Swiss three set points at 6-3 but he only needed one as he spanked another forehand service return winner down the line.
Four hours on the clock, nothing to separate them.
Wawrinka rode the wave, breaking the Murray serve in the opening game of the decider.
The winners just kept flowing, and soon the world No 1 was two breaks down. Then three.
Murray managed to avoid the 6-0 “bagel” set but even he could not delay the inevitable for long.
After four hours and 34 minutes, the match and his French Open were finished by one more superb Wawrinka winner.
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