Wawrinka Send Goodbye to Murray

PARIS - Andy Murray leaves Roland Garros in much better shape than when he arrived, even if losing in the semi-finals to Stan Wawrinka over five sets in four and a half hours on Friday afternoon was not the way he would have chosen to bid adieu to one of his favourite tournaments and cities.

He heads immediately for home to prepare to defend his titles at Queen’s and Wimbledon, as well as the points that leave him unchallenged for a little while yet at the top of the world rankings. If he can reset his grass game to draw on the form that lifted him to within one match of reaching the final here for the second year in a row, he will be more dangerous on grass, still his surface of choice.

The world No1 arrived here spluttering and sweating and could not train properly for a couple of days with his coach, Ivan Lendl, who flew in from Florida three weeks ago to be reunited with the Scot. Some thought this odd, although it did not bother the player or the coach. Murray was hardly burdened by expectations after an indifferent clay season.

Many experts, including former players, gave him little chance of getting out of the first week, but here he was on a sun-warmed and windy Court Philippe-Chatrier on the 13th day of the tournament, trading blows with a rampant Wawrinka all the way to the end.

After winning 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, Wawrinka, at 32 years and 75 days, becomes the oldest men’s finalist here since 33-year-old Niki Pilic lost to Ilie Nastase in a three-set final in 1973, an occasion that could hardly have been further removed in quality and time from the performance Friday’s antagonists provided for us.