Five key facts about French Open men’s final between Djokovic and Murray

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will face each other in a seventh Grand Slam final on Sunday with the clock ticking on their French Open title aspirations.

World number one Djokovic, 11-time Grand Slam winner, is bidding for a first French Open to become just the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam. Victory on Sunday would also give him the ‘Novak Slam’ as he already holds the Wimbledon, US and Australian Open titles.

But the 29-year-old has lost all three finals he has made in Paris.

Murray, also 29 and a rival of Djokovic since their junior days, has previously fallen three times at the semi-final stages. The last British man to win in Paris was Fred Perry in 1935 while Bunny Austin was the last finalist from his country in 1937.

So, here are look at the five facts on Sunday’s French Open men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray:
* It will be the seventh meeting between Djokovic and Murray in a Grand Slam final. Djokovic has a 7-2 win-loss record against Murray in all rounds at the Grand Slams, and a 4-2 win-loss record in finals. The only player Djokovic has beaten on more occasions than Murray at a Grand Slam is Roger Federer (nine times).

* Djokovic is looking to become just the eighth man -- and second oldest -- to complete the career Grand Slam after Andre Agassi, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Roger Federer, Rod Laver, Rafael Nadal and Fred Perry. Only Budge and Laver have completed a calendar year Grand Slam -- Budge in 1938 and Laver in 1962 and 1969.


* Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam title that Djokovic has not won. He has won 11 Grand Slam titles -- at the Australian Open in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, Wimbledon in 2011, 2014 and 2015, US Open in 2011 and 2015. Having won the 2016 Australian Open, Djokovic is looking to become the first man in 24 years to hold the first two legs of the calendar Grand Slam.

* Murray is a two-time Grand Slam champion, having defeated Djokovic in the final on both occasions. He became the first British male Grand Slam winner since Fred Perry won the 1936 US Open at the 2012 US Open, before becoming the first British man in 77 years to win the Wimbledon title in 2013.

* Murray is attempting to become the second British man to win the Roland Garros title after Fred Perry, who won the title in 1935. Murray is just the third British man to reach the final since the event became international in 1925 with Bunny Austin a runner-up in 1937.

Original: www.hindustantimes.com/tennis/five-key-facts-about-french-open-men-s-final-between-djokovic-and-murray/story-F4n3u05L7Jv4rsyGTIpv5I.html