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Murray digs in to down Gasquet

Andy Murray battled hard to beat Richard Gasquet © AP

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Andy Murray battled back from a set down to beat Richard Gasquet 6-7(3) 6-1 6-2 and book a Sony Open final with David Ferrer.

Murray endured some wobbly moments against Gasquet, double-faulting twice on break point, and he lost a set for the first time in tournament when the stylish Frenchman played a flawless tiebreaker.

But the No. 8-seeded Gasquet aggravated a lingering right ankle injury and required treatment from a trainer after the second set, and he limped at times.

"I didn't know when exactly he started feeling it," Murray said. "But he definitely wasn't moving in the third set too well to his forehand side. So obviously tactics change. You try to make them run to that side as much as possible. And it worked."

Gasquet said he hurt his ankle earlier this month at Indian Wells, and it began to feel worse in the second set.

"I felt it a little bit, and I have some problems," he said. "But I try my best. For sure when you have to play a guy like Andy, it's tough. I think I didn't lose because of that. I lost because he's very good."

Murray had a 38-19 edge in winners and converted 7-of-8 break-point chances.

"He's the best defender in the world and he never misses," Gasquet, who hit a string of brilliant winners on both flanks in the first set, said.

Murray is ranked No. 3 in the world and would climb to No. 2 if he wins the title. He has a 6-5 record against Ferrer, a frequent practice partner.

"He's an unbelievable competitor, a great fighter," Murray said. "We train a lot together, so we know each other's games well. It should be a really tough match with a lot of long rallies."

This article first appeared on ESPN.com

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