<p>Andy Murray will on Friday attempt to become the first British man in 77 years to reach the French Open final but eight-time champion Rafael Nadal is standing in his way.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Bunny Austin was the last Briton to get to the men's championship match in 1937 while Fred Perry was the country's last winner in Paris two years earlier.<br /><br />But Murray is making a habit out of shredding the history books -- his Wimbledon triumph last year ended Britain's 77-year wait for a men's title winner.<br /><br />The 27-year-old lost to Nadal at the same stage in Paris in 2011 without winning a set. In fact, Murray, who has 5-14 career record against Nadal, has lost all of his five meetings on clay with the Spaniard.<br /><br />Nadal, in turn, has eight titles in Paris, has won 64 matches against just one defeat and is attempting to become the first man to win five Roland Garros crowns in succession.<br /><br />Despite the facts and figures stacking up against him, Murray believes he has the mental and physical weapons to shatter the Nadal legend.<br /><br />Unlike his loss in 2011, Murray is now a two-time Grand Slam title winner himself and his confidence is buoyed by having taken a set off Nadal in Rome last month.<br /><br />"I obviously know how to win these tournaments now; back then I didn't. I was trying extremely hard, but I had never done it," said Murray who has has yet to win a claycourt title and has never made the final on the sport's most challenging and wearying surface.<br /><br />But he believes that there are cracks, albeit small ones, in the famed Nadal armour that can be exploited and he saw enough in Rome to justify his confidence.<br /><br />"I definitely learned some things in that match. It was quite clear in my head, as well, what was working and what wasn't," he said.<br /><br />"It was obviously different conditions here and a different court, different balls. When we played in Rome it was extremely cold and wet. I have been told it's meant to be 25 or 26 degrees on Friday."<br /><br />The weather could play a crucial role with Nadal preferring warm, sunny weather which allows him to dictate the pace of the game and the ball.<br /><br />Nadal has defied the critics who wondered whether he would make it this far after he suffered his worst season on European clay -- losing three times -- in a decade.He is wary of the threat posed by Murray.<br /><br />"I'm not impressed by the way he's playing on clay. I am not answering in a bad way. I'm saying in a good way. He can play very well on all the surfaces. He's a candidate to win Roland Garros," said the 28-year-old Spaniard.<br /><br />Friday's second semi-final sees world number two Novak Djokovic, who needs a French Open title to become just the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam, tackle outspoken Latvian Ernests Gulbis who will be playing in his first semi-final at a major.<br /><br />Djokovic is playing in his fourth successive French Open semi-final having been runner-up to Nadal in 2012.<br /><br />Gulbis, seeded 18, has a 1-4 losing record against Djokovic with whom he trained in his youth at the Niki Pilic academy in Munich.<br /><br />The 25-year-old, so long the sport's enfant terrible, has finally matched up hard work to his undoubted talent and reached the semi-finals by knocking out fourth-seeded Roger Federer and then sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych.<br /><br />In 2014, only Nadal has won more matches than the controversial big-hitter from Riga."He plays really well. He has a huge serve that, if it goes in, it can give him a lot of advantage," said Djokovic.<br /><br />"He knows how to move, how to anticipate. He's definitely going to be aggressive and going to go for his shots against me. That's his style."</p>
<p>Andy Murray will on Friday attempt to become the first British man in 77 years to reach the French Open final but eight-time champion Rafael Nadal is standing in his way.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Bunny Austin was the last Briton to get to the men's championship match in 1937 while Fred Perry was the country's last winner in Paris two years earlier.<br /><br />But Murray is making a habit out of shredding the history books -- his Wimbledon triumph last year ended Britain's 77-year wait for a men's title winner.<br /><br />The 27-year-old lost to Nadal at the same stage in Paris in 2011 without winning a set. In fact, Murray, who has 5-14 career record against Nadal, has lost all of his five meetings on clay with the Spaniard.<br /><br />Nadal, in turn, has eight titles in Paris, has won 64 matches against just one defeat and is attempting to become the first man to win five Roland Garros crowns in succession.<br /><br />Despite the facts and figures stacking up against him, Murray believes he has the mental and physical weapons to shatter the Nadal legend.<br /><br />Unlike his loss in 2011, Murray is now a two-time Grand Slam title winner himself and his confidence is buoyed by having taken a set off Nadal in Rome last month.<br /><br />"I obviously know how to win these tournaments now; back then I didn't. I was trying extremely hard, but I had never done it," said Murray who has has yet to win a claycourt title and has never made the final on the sport's most challenging and wearying surface.<br /><br />But he believes that there are cracks, albeit small ones, in the famed Nadal armour that can be exploited and he saw enough in Rome to justify his confidence.<br /><br />"I definitely learned some things in that match. It was quite clear in my head, as well, what was working and what wasn't," he said.<br /><br />"It was obviously different conditions here and a different court, different balls. When we played in Rome it was extremely cold and wet. I have been told it's meant to be 25 or 26 degrees on Friday."<br /><br />The weather could play a crucial role with Nadal preferring warm, sunny weather which allows him to dictate the pace of the game and the ball.<br /><br />Nadal has defied the critics who wondered whether he would make it this far after he suffered his worst season on European clay -- losing three times -- in a decade.He is wary of the threat posed by Murray.<br /><br />"I'm not impressed by the way he's playing on clay. I am not answering in a bad way. I'm saying in a good way. He can play very well on all the surfaces. He's a candidate to win Roland Garros," said the 28-year-old Spaniard.<br /><br />Friday's second semi-final sees world number two Novak Djokovic, who needs a French Open title to become just the eighth man to complete the career Grand Slam, tackle outspoken Latvian Ernests Gulbis who will be playing in his first semi-final at a major.<br /><br />Djokovic is playing in his fourth successive French Open semi-final having been runner-up to Nadal in 2012.<br /><br />Gulbis, seeded 18, has a 1-4 losing record against Djokovic with whom he trained in his youth at the Niki Pilic academy in Munich.<br /><br />The 25-year-old, so long the sport's enfant terrible, has finally matched up hard work to his undoubted talent and reached the semi-finals by knocking out fourth-seeded Roger Federer and then sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych.<br /><br />In 2014, only Nadal has won more matches than the controversial big-hitter from Riga."He plays really well. He has a huge serve that, if it goes in, it can give him a lot of advantage," said Djokovic.<br /><br />"He knows how to move, how to anticipate. He's definitely going to be aggressive and going to go for his shots against me. That's his style."</p>