Andy Murray will draw on the experience of being a grand slam champion and Ernests Gulbis is to rely on his “unhealthy diet full of ketchup” as they attempt to prevent a Rafa Nadal-Novak Djokovic French Open final.

The last time Murray faced eight-times champion Nadal at Roland Garros, in the 2011 semi-finals, the Briton was still one of the many also-rans on the tour.

Since then, however, the Scot has captured the US Open title and sent Britain into delirium by winning Wimbledon last July.

That success has made Murray believe he can pull off a feat achieved only once in the past decade – beating Nadal in a five-set match on the Spaniard’s beloved red clay.

“I know how to win these tournaments now so hopefully that will give me a little bit more confidence and belief when I go on the court on Friday,” said the seventh seed.

“I’ll give 100 percent of what I’ve got on Friday and see how it goes.”

Even that might not be enough against a man who hates leaving Roland Garros without landing the Musketeers’ Cup.

When Robin Soderling designed the blueprint for beating Nadal at Roland Garros in 2009, someone should have told him to copyright the plans and sell it.

Had he done so, the Swede would have had a bestseller on his hands but instead, more than five years later, he remains the only man to have beaten Nadal at the home of claycourt tennis.

While most pundits are not convinced Murray has the firepower to stop Nadal, the Spaniard refused to write off Murray’s chances.

“He’s a candidate to win Roland Garros. It will be a big match and big challenge for me,” the 28-year-old Nadal said.

The only man considered to have the stamina, belief and weapons to finally knock Nadal off his lofty pedestal is Djokovic.

However, the Serb first needs to show his ketchup-loving childhood friend Gulbis that an indisciplined lifestyle does not lend itself to tennis success.

“He wasn’t really committed to work hard. But now that’s changing for him. He has won against Roger (Federer), won against Tomas (Berdych),”Djokovic said.

“He has a huge serve that if it goes in can give him a lot of advantage over the opponent.”

It has taken Gulbis 27 attempts to finally make it into the last four of a grand slam but in case fans thought he had given up the playboy lifestyle for good, he was quick to point out that it was on hold.

“I need to prove to myself that I can be the best that I can be in tennis and then I’m going to have a clear and easy mind when I’m 35 years old sitting on a beach with a ...,” he said as he pretended to take a sip out of a glass of champagne.

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