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Murray reaches Wimbledon final

July 6, 2013

Andy Murray has set up a Wimbledon final showdown against top seed Novak Djokovic, after defeating Jerzy Janowicz on Friday night. Meanwhile, Germany's Sabine Lisicki plays her first Wimbledon final on Saturday.

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Andy Murray of Britain celebrates after defeating Jerzy Janowicz of Poland in their men's semi-final tennis match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London July 5, 2013. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT TENNIS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Image: Reuters

The second-seeded Murray beat 24th seed Janowicz of Poland, 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, taking the match in two hours and 52 minutes while reaching the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive year.

Britain's Murray was able to recover from the disappointment of dropping the first set to Janowicz, who powered through the tiebreak 7-2. He broke Janowicz's serve in the first game of the second set and clung on to his own serve to level the match.

Janowicz again turned the tables in the third, breaking early and leading at one point 4-1. Murray then won five games in a row to take the third set 6-4.

His momentum was broken for about half an hour while the Center Court's retractable roof was closed at 8.30 p.m. (local time), to his clear displeasure. The Briton broke for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set and again took Janowicz's serve to win the match.

Murray is hoping to become Britain's first male champion at Wimbledon since 1936. Last year, he was runner-up to Roger Federer.

High hopes for Lisicki

Germany's Sabine Lisicki will play in her first Wimbledon final on Saturday, earning her place after defeating Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday, 6-4, 2-6, 9-7.

The 23-year-old from Troisdorf in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia had provided a major upset earlier in the week when she beat five-times champion Serena Williams, also this year's defending champion.

Lisicki spent Friday gearing up for her big match against France's Marion Bartoli, which will give either of them their first Grand Slam title. She also played down the persistant hay fever that makes her hypersensitive to Wimbledon's famous grass courts.

"I learned how to cope with that," said Lisicki. "In the beginning, the first time I was here, which was, what, five years ago, I really was struggling with the allergies. But by now I know what to do, what to take, to calm those allergies down. I'm on medication."

With her allergies under control, Lisicki says she'll draw on her most recent wins to get her through the final.

"I had a lot of challenges on my way to the finals with players being aggressive, players who were very solid, moving very well," said Lisicki. "So it will be another challenge."

It is just the second time in the 45-year Open era that two women who have never won a Grand Slam trophy will play for the championship at the All England Club.

jr/jm (Reuters, AP, AFP)