Top seed Andy Murray swept into his first Queen's final with a ruthless 6-2, 6-4 win over Juan Carlos Ferrero on Saturday.

Murray is bidding to become the first Briton to win the pre-Wimbledon warm-up event since Bunny Austin in 1938.

Queen's was the venue for Murray's first Tour victory in a singles match four years ago and the 22-year-old has once again been right at home on the grass courts of west London.

The world number three, who plays James Blake in Sunday's final, hasn't dropped a set in four matches and, in reaching his fifth ATP Tour final this year, he also become the first British finalist here since Tim Henman in 2002.

"I felt it was a good match. I started well but the second set was very close," Murray said. "I'm obviously happy to win in two sets. I was very happy with the way I played all round.

"I didn't have the easiest draw so it's been a good week all around and hopefully I can finish it off on Sunday."

Murray will be up against an opponent with previous experience of a Queen's final after Blake went through to his second showpiece here thanks to Andy Roddick's retirement with the score at 4-4 in the first set of their semifinal.

Roddick, who was bidding for a record fifth title here, injured his right ankle as he slipped at the back of the court in the fourth game of the first set.

He eventually called for treatment three games later and resumed only after having his ankle and foot heavily bandaged.

Roddick, the American second seed, was clearly still in some discomfort as he served in the next game.

He managed to hold serve but the pain was too much and, with Wimbledon looming in 10 days time, Roddick took the safety-first option and walked to the net to admit defeat.

Blake, beaten in the 2006 Queen's final by Lleyton Hewitt, admitted he didn't take much pleasure from this victory.

"He pulled up a little early on when he went over. It was unfortunate but he's such a great player and he doesn't want to endanger it anymore," Blake said.

"He normally moves so well and you could tell this wasn't the same Andy Roddick."

Ferrero, a former world number one and French Open champion, has enjoyed something of a resurgence this season, with his first Tour win in six years coming in Casablanca in April, but he was no match for Murray.

The top seed set the tone right from the first point when he guided a sublime passing shot down the line.

Then some typically obdurate defence from Murray frustrated Ferrero on break point and he tamely netted a forehand to give the Scot a break in the opening game.

Both players unleashed some mighty blows in the early stages as they tried to bludgeon their way to supremacy, but it was Murray who hit harder and more accurately.

When Ferrero's forehand clipped the net and looped beyond the baseline to hand Murray another break in the fifth game, the first set was all but over.

With the first set wrapped up in less than 30 minutes, Murray seemed to lose his concentration and squandered three break points at the start of the second.

More break points came and went in Ferrero's next service game as the Spaniard began to find his range, but Murray is the kind of relentless scurrier who can drive an opponent to distraction.

So it proved in the seventh game of the set as Murray broke again to move ahead 4-3 when Ferrero, playing in the first grass-court semi-final of his career, dragged a forehand wide going for a big winner.

Ferrero held to make Murray serve out the match and he did just that to complete another imperious performance.

AFP

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