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Novak Djokovic sweeps aside Andy Murray to reach final of Shanghai Masters
Djokovic takes match 6-1 6-3 in just over one hour and seven minutes.
Novak Djokovic confirmed the considerable gulf that currently exists between himself and the rest in men’s tennis by routing World No.2 Andy Murray in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters Saturday.
The Serb won 6-1 6-3 in a little over one hour and seven minutes and will now look to claim his third Shanghai title in Sunday’s final matchup.
Murray had little answer to Djokovic’s superb recovery play and wasn’t helped by his own bad temper and occasionally nervous shot-making.
The Scot could hold his serve only once in the opening set and, although he broke back at the beginning of the second, he gave away his next two service games to allow Djokovic to go clear once more.
From 3-1 up in the second, Djokovic served out for the match. In the process, he also ensured he has now won 15 straight matches and 20 sets in a row.
The in-form World No.1 has also made it to seven straight ATP Masters finals and claimed three out of four grandslams in 2015 as well.
He will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Sunday’s final after the Frenchman overcame Rafael Nadal in the day’s earlier semifinal.
Tsonga took the first set 6-4 before Nadal bounced back to level the match by storming to the second set 6-0.
But No. 16 seed Tsonga halted the Nadal march in the decider, breaking the Spaniard late on to take the set 7-5.
“I know it’s going to be difficult but it’s for me an opportunity to hold a new trophy anyway because I’m in final,” Tsonga said in quotes carried by the AFP news agency.
“It’s one match. If I win it, I’m the champion this week. I’ll take that like an opportunity, so I will give everything.”