Tennis

Murray reaches Valencia final

Andy Murray will bid for his sixth ATP World Tour title of the season on Sunday after beating Fernando Verdasco to book his place in the final of the inaugural Valencia Open.

The world number four will face unseeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny after a battling 6-3 2-6 6-3 victory over Verdasco.

The Spaniard had Murray in trouble at times with his big hitting but the top seed's greater consistency eventually proved decisive.

Youzhny fought back from a set down to beat fellow Russian Nikolay Davydenko 3-6 6-4 6-3.

The second seed, who, like Verdasco, is still not sure of his place at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London later this month, looked in control when he took the first set.

But world number 23 Youzhny, who had won only one of his four previous meetings with Davydenko, turned things around in the second set before breaking twice in the third.

The only previous meeting between Murray and Youzhny came in St Petersburg two years when the Scot won a tight contest before going on to take the title.

 
RTÉ.ie Sport: Andy Murray
Andy Murray
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