Britain’s Andy Murray qualified for his first Rome Masters final on Saturday after cruising past 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.
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But facing world No 2 Murray was a step too far for the 22-year-old Frenchman, who had 25 unforced errors in a one-sided encounter that was interrupted early in the second set.
Murray could now meet world No 1 Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final if the Serbian 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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