Novak Djokovic was coming off a terrible display and near loss to 110th ranked qualifier Mischa Zverev in the quarter-finals, but through it all, the Serb kept a smile on his face as part of his new lighthearted approach to the game.
Well the top seed's new found patience would be tested again in the semi-finals against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, and the 15th seed would make exact a far greater price for mistakes than Zverev managed to.
This is the sixth meeting between the two with Djokovic in the red shirt having won all of them. Tied at 4 in the first set, Nole has break point, he comes to the net for a smash, but what was that? Bautista Agut says thank you very much and smacks a winner.
The Spaniard fought off the break and now has his own for set point. They go back and forth from the baseline with neither trying for much and then Djoker digs an wakward backhand that goes wide. The smile and lightheartedness are out the window as he obliterates his racket for losing the frame 6-4.
Djokovic would rack up 29 unforced errors while getting broken four times. And when Bautista Agut's forehand falls inside the line, the Spaniard completes the straight sets upset, 6-4 in the second, to reach the biggest final of his career. Djoker's smile is back as he apologizes for his tantrums.
MURRAY SEES OFF SIMON 6-4, 6-3
Andy Murray at the top of your screen, taking on France's Gilles Simon in the other semi-final. In 16 previous meetings with Simon, Murray had lost only twice, but the Frenchman looks good from the outset as he recovers from the difficult forehand at his feet and then capitalizes on Murray's weak volley to step in a nail a pasing shot down the line, and Simon would go on to break Murray three times in the opening set.
But unlike Djokovic, Murray would manage to keep his composure, or at least enough of it to pull off this shot. An inch perfect lob that gives the Scot the frame 6-4.
The second set would be more routine for Murray, except in this 13 minute long marathon second game that the Scot wins with a deep forehand, breaking the Frenchman.
Match point now for Andy and an out-swinging serve gets the job done. His tenth match in a row without dropping a set, even though he gave up 18 unforced errors.
