Key Biscayne, FL – Andy Murray rallied from a set down to beat a hobbled Richard Gasquet to advance to the title match at the $4.169 million Sony Open.
The second-seeded Murray, the 2009 Key Biscayne champion, took advantage of a toe injury to Gasquet to post a 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-2 victory over the No. 8 seed from France.
"I didn't know exactly when he started feeling it," Murray said of Gasquet's injury in an on-court interview following the match.
The toe appeared to bother Gasquet during the tiebreaker, although he managed to win the set when Murray sent a backhander wide.
Murray rolled in the second set and Gasquet received attention from a trainer prior to the third. His small two toes were taped together.
The native of Great Britain broke in the first and third games of the final set for a 2-1 lead. Murray won the final three games of the match and finished it when Gasquet couldn't handle a hard serve.
Murray will tangle with Spaniard David Ferrer in the finale. Ferrer overcame a dropped set to beat German veteran Tommy Haas Friday afternoon.
The third-seeded Ferrer fired seven aces and earned six break points in his 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over the No. 15 seeded Haas at Crandon Park. It was the first match between the two since 2008 in Dubai, with Ferrer improving to 3-0 against the Hamburg native.
Ferrer, who turns 31 next week, is bidding to capture his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Trophy and his third title of the year following triumphs in Auckland and Buenos Aires. He leads the ATP with 26 wins this season.
No Spaniard has ever won here in the tournament's 28-year history, going 0-5 in finals.
As for Murray, the runner-up last year, he's trying for his second title this year and 26th of his career. Murray is 6-5 all-time against Ferrer, and that includes a quarterfinal victory for the Scotsman in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon last year.
This week's big winner will pocket $719,160.
