Shenzhen Open 2014: Andy Murray comes through sticky patch to reach final

Scot beats Juan Monaco 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 to set up meeting with Tommy Robredo

Murray gets the better of Monaco to make first final since Wimbledon last year (AFP/Getty)

His sweat-drenched shirt and gasps for breath showed how much it had taken out of him but Andy Murray’s satisfaction in reaching his first final for more than 14 months was evident at the Shenzhen Open in China. The Scot fought through brutally hot and humid conditions to beat Juan Monaco 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 and claim a place in Sunday’s final against Spain’s Tommy Robredo.

For the best part of an hour it was Monaco who looked the more comfortable. However, from midway through the second set Murray won nine games in a row to secure his first place in a final since his Wimbledon triumph last summer.

“The turning point was probably 3-3 in the second set,” Murray said. “He had break point and then after that I had the momentum. But before that he was dominating the match. I found it very tough in the sun. It was extremely hot and humid. I’m not used to that where I come from.”

Victory would give the world No 11 a significant lift as he attempts to win the ranking points he needs to play in the season ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Robredo, who beat Santiago Giraldo 6-1, 6-4, has lost his last three matches against Murray, but the Scot insisted: “Tommy’s a very experienced player. He’s played some very good tennis this year. He beat [Novak] Djokovic a few weeks ago in Cincinnati.”

Murray will next head to Beijing for the China Open, where he faces a tricky first-round tie against Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz.