French Open 2016: Defending champion Stan Wawrinka to face Andy Murray in semi-final

BESET by bad weather, the French Open finally has the blockbuster it coveted — a semi-final showdown between Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.

Stan Wawrinka (pictured) will play Andy Murray in the semi-final of the French Open.

FRUSTRATED by days of weather interruptions, the French Open finally has the second-week blockbuster it coveted — a semi-final showdown between world No. 2 Andy Murray and defending champion Stan Wawrinka.

Murray and Wawrinka, winner of two majors each and Olympic gold medals, will go toe-to-toe at Roland Garros tomorrow after the pair’s contrasting wins.

An unusually passive Murray blew 5-2 leads in each of the first two sets before crushing fragile French ninth seed Richard Gasquet 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 6-2, as Wawrinka cruised past unseeded Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1 6-2 7-6 (7-3).

Murray leads the series against Wawrinka 8-7, but the Swiss has won the pair’s past two encounters.

The pair holds a critical advantage heading into the semis because the top half of the draw still has to contest the quarter-final stage tonight.

Second seed Murray and world No. 4 Wawrinka roared into the last four as Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych, Dominic Thiem and David Goffin clinched rain-delayed fourth-round clashes to advance.

Andy Murray.

Stan Wawrinka.

Murray was jubilant after overwhelming Gasquet and silencing a rabid Philippe Chatrier Court crowd in a gruelling 3hr, 23min battle.

“There was some great tennis, some fun points, some drops shots and a lot of variety,” Murray said.

“It was very, very important for me to win the second set because it had been a very physical match up to that point. It would have been difficult to come back if I’d lost that set. It was a very tough match and glad to get through.

But he knows Wawrinka represents a step up in class.

“He’s obviously played great tennis here the last couple of years, he’s the defending champion,” Murray said.

“It’s going to be extremely difficult. Hopefully I can play my best tennis and reach my first final here.”

Djokovic became player in history cross a prizemoney threshold once considered unthinkable — $US100 million.

The world No. 1 Serb passed the milestone with a grinding 3-6 6-4 6-1 7-5 win over Spain’s Robert Bautista Agut.

Djokovic celebrated passage into the quarters by joking with a ball boy and on-court interviewer and former player Fabrice Santoro.

The world champion has now reached 28 straight grand slam quarter-finals, a tally bettered only by Roger Federer’s 36 consecutive appearances.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic jokes around with a ball boy.

Starting the tournament with earnings of $US99,673,404 Djokovic earned a further $US328,000 with the Batista Agut success, pushing his career earnings to $US100,001,404.

Federer is Djokovic’s closest rival with $US98,011,727, but the Swiss is currently sidelined with a back injury.

Women’s world No. 1 Serena Williams, who has won 70 titles to Djokovic’s 64 and 21 majors to 11, has earned $US76,467,915.

Desperate for a quick finish to save energy and time, Djokovic broke immediately from 4-1 to pocket the third set when play resumed.

But he encountered stiff resistance from Bautista Agut before slumping to 2-4 in the fourth set.

From there, Djokovic regrouped to win five of the following seven games.

Djokovic faces Czech Berdych who romped to a surprisingly easy 6-3 7-5 6-3 victory over Spaniard David Ferrer.

Thiem became the first Austrian man to reach a major quarter with a 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 6-1 6-4 margin over Spain’s Marcel Granollers.

He will next play Goffin, who stopped Latvian firebrand Ernests Gulbis 4-6 6-2 6-2 6-3 to complete the quarter-final match-ups.

Originally published as French Open 2016: Defending champion Stan Wawrinka to face Andy Murray in semi-final