Andy Murray will face Novak Djokovic in the Madrid Open final
Sunday 8 May 2016 17:14, UK
Andy Murray is just one victory away from successfully defending his Madrid Open title on the clay courts of the Spanish capital.
However, the Brit will have to do it the hard way as, having beaten Rafael Nadal in the semis, he must now face world No 1 Novak Djokovic in this evening's mouth-watering final (5.30pm, Sky Sports 3).
Murray and Djokovic's rivalry has been a huge part of the tennis scene over the last decade and the top two players in the world, who were born just a week apart, met for the first time as professionals at this tournament 10 years ago, Djokovic prevailing 1-6 7-5 6-3 in a round-of-16 clash.
The duo will be meeting for the 32nd time today and have squared off in six Grand Slam finals over the years but this will be the first time they have played in a Masters series final on clay.
Live ATP Masters Tennis
Djokovic holds the 22-9 head-to-head edge and has dominated Murray since the Brit defeated him in the 2013 Wimbledon final.
Since that memorable summer day, Murray has secured just one win over Djokovic (Canadian Open final last year) and has suffered 10 defeats, including in the last two Australian Open finals.
And Djokovic has yet to even drop a set in Madrid this year, beating Kei Nishikori 6-3 7-6 on Saturday night to earn his place in the final.
However, Murray's performances on clay have taken a great leap forward over the last two years and, having defeated Nadal in last year's final, the Brit beat the king of clay on his favourite surface once again on Saturday, prevailing 7-5 6-4.
Djokovic said of Murray: "He has improved tremendously on clay the last couple of years.
"I think he's moving better and sliding better on the court. He is more patient. He constructs the point better, which is very important for clay."
Djokovic has won their three previous meetings on clay but Murray gave him a major fright in the French Open semis last year before the Serb eventually won 6-3 6-3 5-7 5-7 6-1.
And Murray was in a positive mood after his win over Nadal, saying: "I think it was a better win for me this year than last year.
"Not loads of players have won against Rafa on clay throughout his career.
"To beat him in Spain on a clay court is obviously a big, big challenge for any player.
"I'm very pleased to have beaten him, it's a big step for me from where I was four or five weeks ago. I'm going back in the right direction again."
Watch the Madrid Open final on Sky Sports 3 HD from 5.30pm - your home of tennis
Check our game-by-game updates of the final on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis.
By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices.
