Paris: French Open men`s semi-finals -- facts and figures for Friday`s matches (x denotes seeded player):
Andy Murray vs Stan Wawrinka
Head-to-head: Murray leads 10-7
Murray says: "I played one of my best clay-court matches that day to get the win (Murray beat Wawrinka in the semi-final last year). I need to do the same again. He`s been playing very well. He`s confident. It`s going to be very tough."
Wawrinka says: "I think he`s struggling a little bit since the beginning of the year, but he`s in the semi-final. So a champion like him, they find a way to win matches, he`s playing better and better."
Fast facts
Murray: Age - 30; World ranking - 1; Prize money - $59,842,103; Career titles - 45, Grand Slam titles - 3; French Open best - Runner-up (2016)
Wawrinka: Age - 32; World ranking - 3; Prize money - $29,378,107; Career titles - 16; Grand Slam titles - 3; French Open best - Champion (2015)
Paths to the semi-finals
Murray
1st rd: bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
2nd rd: bt Martin Klizan (SVK) 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
3rd rd: bt Juan Martin del Potro (ARG x29) 7-6 (10/8), 7-5, 6-0
4th rd: bt Karen Khachanov (RUS) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
QF: bt Kei Nishikori (JPN x8) 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/0), 6-1
Wawrinka
1st rd: bt Jozef Kovalik (SVK) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3
2nd rd: bt Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5
3rd rd: bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x28) 7-6 (7/2), 6-0, 6-2
4th rd: bt Gael Monfils (FRA x15) 7-5, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2
QF: bt Marin Cilic (CRO x7) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem
Head-to-head: Nadal leads 4-2
Nadal says: "I`d like to thank all those who say that I`m a favourite, but I`m on the court. As I said at the start of the tournament, everything that is being said and written, of course, you have a job to do, but my job is to play tennis. I know that each day there is a different match and there is a different opponent."
Thiem says: "It`s a joke how tough it is to win a Slam. I beat Novak. On Friday it`s Nadal. In the final there is another top star. That`s why it`s a Slam is because it`s such a tough achievement."
Fast facts
Nadal: Age - 31; World ranking - 4; Prize money - $83,573,172; Career titles - 72, Grand Slam titles - 14, French Open best - Champion (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Thiem: Age - 23; World ranking - 7; Prize money - $7,049,918; Career titles - 8, Grand Slam titles - 0; French Open best - Semi-final (2016, 2017)
Paths to the semi-finals
Nadal
1st rd: bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-1
2nd rd: bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3
3rd rd: bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-0, 6-1, 6-0
4th rd: bt Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x17) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
QF: bt Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP x20) 6-2, 2-0 – retired
Thiem
1st rd: bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-4, 6-0, 6-2
2nd rd: bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 7-5, 6-1, 6-3
3rd rd: bt Steve Johnson (USA x25) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
4th rd: bt Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 6-1, 6-3, 6-1
QF: bt bt Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-0
