By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, November 7, 2015
Andy Murray won five games in a row defeating David Ferrer, 6-4, 6-3, in 95 minutes to reach the Paris Masters final for the first time.
Photo credit: Corinne Dubreuil/FFT
Andy Murray blazed through another convincing close to reach his first Paris final and defeat David Ferrer in the City of Light for the second time this season.
Murray won five straight games finishing off Ferrer, 6-4, 6-3, in 95 minutes to roll into the BNP Paribas Masters Paris final for the first time.
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The third-ranked Scot can secure the year-end No. 2 ranking for the first time in his career if he takes the title. Murray will face either top-seeded Novak Djokovic or fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka in Sunday's final.
It was Murray's fourth consecutive win over Ferrer, including a second straight triumph in Paris. Murray was a 7-6 (4), 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 victory in their last meeting in the Roland Garros quarterfinals in June.
Carrying a 2-8 hard-court record against the 2013 Wimbledon champion into this match, Ferrer won the coin toss, elected to serve and immediately found himself playing catch-up.
In a streaky first set the pair traded leads after exchanging extended runs. Stepping inside the baseline and pounding his two-handed backhand to Ferrer's weaker two-hander, Murray broke at 30 and had two break-point chances for a 3-0, double-break lead.
The 2012 champion dug in with defiance during an 11-minute third game, fending off a couple of break points to hold. Down a break at 1-3, Ferrer found his edge winning 12 of 13 points transforming the deficit into a 4-3 lead. Ferrer used the inside-out forehand to stretch Murray, sometimes finishing with the forehand down the line.
Murray, who had been in charge at the outset, found himself countering off his back foot as Ferrer earned triple break point in the eighth game. This time, it was Murray's turn to salvage a stubborn hold. The second-seeded Scot reeled off 10 consecutive points holding then scoring his second break for 5-4.
A creative angled drop volley followed by a volley lob winner earned Murray double-set point. When Ferrer put a backhand into net, Murray collected the 49-minute opener winning eight of 11 trips to net and bouncing back from a mid-set lapse.
Reasserting his forehand, Ferrer continued to pound away in baseline rallies. He coaxed a wild backhand error to earn the first break of the second set leaving Murray to slap the ball into the net in disgust at his transgression.
Using his expansive reach in runs to the net, his heavier two-handed backhand and some key running strikes helped Murray rally from a 1-3 second-set deficit. Ferrer's first double fault put him in a triple-break point hole. Murray flashed a full-stretch running forehand pass down the line to break for 2-3.
That shot started a surge for the second seed. Murray held at love then charged the net drawing a backhand error to break again for 4-3. Murray converted five of nine break points in the match.
Pressuring Ferrer's second serve throughout the second set, Murray won seven of 10 points played on the Spaniard's second delivery in the set. Ferrer's second double fault gifted match point. He missed the mark on a drop shot as Murray raised his record to 68-11 on the season advancing to his seventh final of the season. Murray has won four straight finals and will try to extend that run tomorrow.