The television cameras are buzzing around the two protagonists backstage on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are only about 10 feet apart, but they never lock gaze.

Each man stretching and twitching in a world of their own.

A couple of cliches dispensed to French television and now they stride out into a toasty Paris afternoon.

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Getty Images

Cheers James, much appreciated.

I wonder if Andy Murray might have hit the speed dial button to former coach Ivan Lendl in the build-up to this one.

The last time a number one seed played a number two seed in the final of a Grand Slam that neither man had won before was Roland Garros in 1984.

The winner? One Ivan Lendl after he upset the ranking to beat John McEnroe.

Time for me to hand over to Mike Henson, who will take you through the twists and turns of what we hope will be an epic final. Over to you, Mike...

Image source, Rex Features

Andy Murray speaking to ITV Sport: "Winning in Rome helps for sure. If I'd lost people would have said it had the opposite effect. I'll need to play a very high level again if I want to win. 

"There was a period when our head-to-head was very close, then I struggled after my back surgery and he really raised his level and played great tennis. 

"I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to play in a French Open final again so I'm going to give everything I've got.

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Djokovic's passage through the draw has been much more straightforward - in fact the world number one has dropped just one set.

That came against Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round, which was followed by crushing straight-sets wins over Tomas Berdych and Dominic Thiem.

However, the heavy rain in Paris and a quirk of the draw means that, unlike Murray, Djokovic had to play four matches in four days. Could that have drained some of the energy from the Serb's usually elastic legs? We shall see...

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It's been an at times rocky road to the final for Andy Murray. The world number two was taken to five sets in his opening two matches: coming back from two sets down against Czech veteran Radek Stepanek, before recovering from two sets to one behind against French wild card Mathias Bourgue. 

Since then however the Scot's progress has been much more impressive. He polished off big servers Ivo Karlovic and John Isner in straight sets, and breezed past Richard Gasquet in four.

He topped it off on Friday with a highly impressive four-set victory over defending champ Stan Wawrinka in the semis - a performance described by former French Open winner Mats Wilander as the best tactical match he'd ever seen at Roland Garros. High praise indeed...

Richard: Djokovic has to be the favourite, surely? Purely because he's Djokovic  

Paul Staveley: Winning Wimbledon the way he did will take some topping, but if Murray can win this today, it would be an incredible achievement.

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent in Paris

"I think it would be Andy Murray's greatest personal accomplishment. Clay is not his natural surface, and he's had to put in so much work over the last 15 months to get into that sort of shape. But the bucketloads of pressure that he had to face at Wimbledon make me hesitate to say categorically that this would be his greatest achievement."

Right Judge I Am: Absolutely no doubt in my mind, if he wins Roland Garros it will be his greatest achievement.

Emma Daly: French Open is def top 3. Davis Cup against France, then Wimbo. I really hope he can do it today.

Let us just mark your card for some of the historical milestones in Andy Murray's sight. If he wins today, the Scot would be:

• the first British man to win the French Open since Fred Perry 1935
• the ninth man in history to win three Grand Slam titles and be runner-up at the fourth
• the third man to win three Grand Slam titles, the Davis Cup and Olympic singles gold
• the second man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title having been two sets down in his opening match, after Pat Rafter at the 1998 US Open

Leon Smith
Great Britain Davis Cup captain

"Clay is a surface that British players aren't brought up on. Even though he trained in Barcelona as a teenager, it's taken Andy a while to get used to the surface. It's already an incredible achievement for him to be in the final, but if he could get over the line, it would be his greatest achievement."

Image source, Getty Images

For Andy Murray, just being in the final of the French Open is a remarkable achievement for a man who once seemed as comfortable on clay as a giraffe on an ice rink.

In fact, up until 13 months ago, Murray hadn't won a single title and had only ever beaten one Top 10 opponent on the red stuff.

But since then he's been a man transformed - thanks in no small part to the coaching of Amelie Mauresmo (who has since departed). He's won in Munich, Rome and Madrid (twice), beaten Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, and won an incredible 91% of his matches. Can he complete his transformation from clay klutz to dirt demon today?

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent in Paris

"The pressure of trying to complete the Career Grand Slam is something that weighs on Djokovic's mind, and that's something that Murray can exploit. But he needs to start fast, and impose his game on the match quickly."

Alex Bradford: Djokovic is already in the 'best of all time' conversation - so dominant in an era with Nadal/Federer/Murray/Wawrinka

Ruairi Ward: Crazy to think that if Murray wins today he'd have the chance before Novak to complete the career grand slam at AUS 2017

LawrenceGarnerAllen: My heart is behind Murray all the way, but my nerdy tennis brain thinks that Djokovic will just have a bit more nous today  

Image source, Getty Images

For Novak Djokovic, today is all about capturing the one remaining Grand Slam title that has eluded him - and catapulting himself into the pantheon of tennis's truly great players.

Only seven players have ever won all four Majors - among them Rod Laver, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - and time is running out for Djokovic to join them. At 29 years and 14 days, he would already be the second-oldest player to complete the set, after Andre Agassi.

As for Murray, if he wins he'll be three-quarters of the way to the full house, missing only the Australian Open from his mantelpiece.

Pat Cash
Former Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 live

"I have Murray as favourite. I think he's got the better form, and I think the conditions here suit him. But these matches boil down to the same old things: who deals with the pressure better, who grabs those small opportunities. I think Andy is the better all-round player, but Djokovic has proven mentally that he is extremely tough. This could be an absolute marathon, and I hope it is."