Andy Murray - I can beat Roger Federer in final

Image via Wikipedia

AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL - Murray v Federer
Venue: Melbourne Park Date/time: 0830 GMT, Sun 31 January
BBC coverage: Live on BBC One, HD, BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 live. Highlights on BBC One on Sunday at 2255 GMT


Murray is the first Briton to reach two Grand Slam singles finals since 1938


Andy Murray says he must play the match of his life if he is to beat Roger Federer in the Australian Open final.

Murray, 22, hopes to win his first major title and end Britain's 74-year wait for a male Grand Slam champion.

"I'm going to need to play my best match ever," said the Scot. "I'm totally aware of that going into the match tomorrow.

"That's what I plan on doing. I'll try and play my best. If I do, I've got a good chance of winning."

Murray will play in his second Grand Slam final on Sunday, having lost in straight sets to Federer in the 2008 US Open final, but the Briton insists he is a different proposition now.


Murray only thinking of winning final
"I was only 20 when I played him in that US Open final," said Murray. "Twenty was pretty young when I played my first Slam final. A year and a half, two years later, I just feel physically more mature, mentally more mature.

"I just have a lot more experience in these sorts of situations now. I have a game that can cause Roger problems. I have played him a lot of times now so I know the way you need to play against him. There are not going to be too many surprises on the court tomorrow.

"I know what to expect. I know how he's going to play. It's up to me, like I said, to play my best."


Federer v Murray: Tale of the tape

Murray is the first British man to reach two Grand Slam singles finals since Bunny Austin in 1938, but it is Fred Perry's US Open victory of 1936 that he is desperate to match by breaking his Grand Slam duck.

Standing in his way is arguably the greatest player of all time in Federer, who set a new record of 15 Grand Slam titles when he won Wimbledon last year.

And the 28-year-old Swiss looked in supreme form as he swept past 10th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals on Friday.

JONATHAN OVEREND'S BLOG
Federer starts the strong favourite and almost certainly wins, possibly heavily, if he plays as well as he can

"I'm sure he's going play great again tomorrow," said Murray. "Obviously, he plays very, very well. He's probably the best tennis player ever, so you would expect him to play well.

"I think if I play my best I've got a good chance against anyone. At the top of any sport it can come down to a few points here or there, sometimes a little bit of luck.

"You have to wait and see, but if I play my best, I think I've got a chance against anyone."

Murray has proved a difficult opponent for Federer in the past and has a 6-4 head-to-head record against the Swiss. He can also take heart from last year's US Open final, where Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro proved that the world number one can be overhauled with a five-set win.

"Obviously it would be nice to start well, but I don't think it's the end of the match if the start doesn't go my way," said Murray.

"Guys have come back against him in the past. "You look at the US Open final last year against Del Potro. Federer was up a set and serving for the set and Del Potro came back.


Federer tips Murray for Slam success
"In five-set matches so much can happen. A lot can change in just a few points, like my match the other night against (Marin) Cilic.

"It's not the end of the world if the start doesn't go to plan."

Federer, who completed his set of Grand Slam titles with victory at the French Open last year, is well aware of the pressure on Murray to end Britain's long wait for a for a male Grand Slam singles champion.

"I think Murray's always being reminded of that and it makes all the other players smile a little bit, that he has to hear that question over and over again," Federer told BBC Sport.

"I think he's handled it beautifully. He's been very successful, he's won many Masters 1000s and he's now putting himself in contention over and over again in Grand Slam play, so you must figure that he's got the game to do it.

"The question is now how much happens upstairs in the head. Let's say if he were to lose a second Grand Slam final, what effect has that on Andy? But he can put that all to rest by beating me on Sunday and he doesn't have to answer that question any more."