Andy Murray overcame Tomas Berdych and a howling gale to reach his fifth grand slam final at the US Open. A storm delayed the start of play and, although the rain cleared, an extremely strong wind blew the whole way through the match, disrupting play on numerous occasions and making life extremely tough for both players. But, although Murray lost a tight first set, it was he who coped with the conditions better, surviving a fightback in the fourth set from Berdych to win 5-7 6-2 6-1 7-6 (9/7) in three hours and 58 minutes. It will be the 25-year-old's second consecutive grand slam final after his Wimbledon loss to Roger Federer and his second US Open final. "It was brutal," he told Sky Sports of the conditions. "It is hard to describe. You have to focus on every point, get yourself in position because the ball was stopping. "Chairs were flying and it was hard to serve. It was not about aces, it was about getting your serve in. "They were some of the hardest conditions I have ever played in, and I come from Scotland!" |