Andy Murray’s superb run of form continued as he beat David Ferrer in straight sets to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Paris Masters.
The British number one, who came through a tough examination against Richard Gasquet in the previous round, prevailed 6-4 6-3 against the Spaniard, who could not keep up with the world number three’s relentless hitting.
It means Murray will face either Novak Djokovic or Stanislas Warwinka in the final as he continues to prepare for the Davis Cup final.
Murray was again on top of his game from the start, racing to three break points in the opening game before securing the break at the second attempt – a pattern he has repeated throughout the tournament.
However after racing to a 3-1 lead, Murray began to make mistakes as Ferrer dug in in trademark fashion, forcing Murray to error on the volley before firing into his feet at break point to draw level.
The eighth seed could have gone ahead after a superb lob gave him three break points in the following game, but Murray found his range when it mattered with a series of searing groundstrokes, before an ace eventually saved the game and he went on to claim the first set with a break to love.
The pair traded blows in the second set, but Murray reeled off five games in a row to claim the second set 6-3 and seal his place in a 16th Masters final, and his first in the French capital.
After the match, Murray revealed a positive approach had paid off against Ferrer.
He told Sky Sports: “I think I played aggressive tennis and used the net well today. I came forward and was successful at the net.
“There were a couple of periods in the match where I made mistakes, but when you’re trying to play high-risk tennis that can happen.
“I thought that was a pretty good match apart from a few periods when I was making errors.”
If he wins the final on Sunday, Murray is set to finish the season as world number two – a feat he has never achieved, and with the Davis Cup final on the horizon the 28-year-old could be breaking new ground in his career.
“It will be nice as it’s the highest I’ve ever finished, but I’ve still got the Davis Cup to look forward to,” he said.
“I could achieve things I’ve never done before which gives me extra motivation.”