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Two blockbuster matches are on tap for Friday at the 2017 French Open, as the men's semifinals get underway at Roland Garros in Paris.

The early match is No. 3 Stan Wawrinka taking on No. 1 Andy Murray. Wawrinka won the French Open in 2015, his second Grand Slam win at the time (he followed it up with a victory at the 2016 U.S. Open).

Murray has never won the French Open, but he came close last year, reaching the final for the first time but succumbing to Novak Djokovic in four sets. He's looked strong all tournament and should make for difficult opposition for Wawrinka, who has been in imperious form.

Wawrinka has not dropped a set all tournament entering Friday's semi, including a steamrolling of No. 7 Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

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For those unable to catch the action live in the United States due to the overnight and early-morning start times, replay coverage can be seen on the Tennis Channel starting at 2 p.m. ET.

Live coverage will be on NBC and the Tennis Channel, with live streaming available at NBC Sports Live.

The other match on Friday's docket is No. 4 Rafael Nadal, the indisputable king of clay looking for an astonishing 10th title at the French Open, and No. 6 Dominic Thiem, fresh off an upset win over No. 2 Djokovic.



The 23-year-old Thiem has been tapped to break through the current establishment in men's tennis for some time now. He hasn't made any deep runs in the other three majors, but he's establishing himself as a force at Roland Garros with his second-straight trip to the men's semifinals.

This trip to the final four was made all the more dramatic by vanquishing Djokovic, who toppled the up-and-comer in last year's semis en route to winning the tournament.

Petr David Josek/Associated Press

Thiem got progressively better against Djokovic on Wednesday, winning in straight sets, 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-0. Per Roland Garros, it was the Austrian's first win over a top-10 opponent at a major.

For his next trick, he must take on Nadal, who has dealt with injuries and poor form over the past couple of years but appears to be back to his world-beating self as he looks to win the French Open for the first time since 2014.

The Spaniard has yet to drop a set in this tournament, and he got something of a boost in the quarterfinals when No. 20 Pablo Carreno Busta retired from the match down 6-2, 2-0.

Petr David Josek/Associated Press

Nadal will certainly be happy to have avoided an extra bit of stress on his body as he faces his youthful opponent, whom he is now growing familiar with. Thiem and Nadal have clashed three times on clay since April, with Nadal winning the first two contests but Thiem beating him 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals in Rome last month.

Thiem is well aware of the challenge he is facing Friday, but he isn't lacking in confidence.

"It's great for me to be in the semi-finals again," Thiem said, per Reuters' Martyn Herman. "On Friday I'm playing the toughest opponent ever here in Roland Garros. The toughest match what you can imagine.

"But there are no secrets."



Thiem is the only remaining hope for tennis fans hoping for fresher faces in the finals at Roland Garros. For those comfortable with the veteran players like Wawrinka, Murray and Nadal, they know at least one of the three will be playing in the finals, each with their own compelling storyline.