Rome (AFP) – Britain’s Andy Murray qualified for his first Rome Masters final on Saturday after cruising past Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-2, 6-1 in their rain-interrupted semi-final.
Murray, the second seed in the Italian capital, swept past Belgium’s David Goffin on Friday to make the last four for only the second time after 2011.
Pouille, a lucky loser, had reached his first Masters semi-final on a walkover after quarter-final opponent Juan Monaco of Argentina pulled out on Friday before their match.
Pouille had caused a shock when he ousted Spanish ninth seed David Ferrer in the third round on Thursday.
But facing world number two Murray was a step too far for the 22-year-old, who had 25 unforced errors in a one-sided encounter that was interrupted early in the second set.
Murray could now meet world number one Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final if the Serbian star overcomes Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the second semi-final later Saturday.
Djokovic beat Murray in the final of the Madrid Masters last Sunday.
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