Tennis: Andy Murray was one match away from his first grasscourt title after hustling past Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Queen's Club tournament today.
The top seed outwitted the former world number one with an assortment of angles, spins and power and will now have his sights set on becoming the first British champion at the west London club since Bunny Austin in 1938.
Standing in his way is James Blake, who earned his place in tomorrow's final after four-time champion Andy Roddick was forced to retire injured during their semi-final.
Murray will carry his country's hopes at Wimbledon later this month and his performance would have sent an ominous warning to all his rivals.
"Happy to win in straight sets... it's been a good week and hopefully it can continue tomorrow," Murray, who dropped only five points on serve in the opening set, said courtside.
Ferrero, now ranked 90th in the world, had dropped only one set en route to contesting his first grasscourt semi-final but Murray was quick to expose his weaknesses.
A searing passing shot winner earned Murray a break point in the opening game and the 29-year-old Spaniard promptly dropped his serve by scooping a backhand into the next just seconds later.
The Scot appeared to be floating around the sun-bathed Centre Court as he hit winners at will to take the opening set in just 28 minutes.
Ferrero looked destined to be on the receiving end of a walloping when he went down 0-40 in the opening game of the second set.
A couple of Murray errors allowed him to claw back in that game but the Scot continued to stalk Ferrero and eventually trapped him to break for a 4-3 lead.
Five minutes later it was all over for Ferrero and Murray was left to lap up the applause as he became the first home-grown player to reach the final since Tim Henman in 2002.