Andy Murray on the brink of greatness - British No 1 目的（とする）s to upset Roger Federer in Australian Open Final

By Malcolm Folley Updated: 23:24 BST, 30 January 2010

He has been …を伴ってd here to the other 味方する of the world by a coterie of 雇うd help but when Andy Murray steps into the 棒 Laver 円形競技場 this morning to 論争 the 運命 of the Australian Open, like a lonely boxer he will 繁栄する or fail by his 行為s alone.

In the opposite corner is world No 1 Roger Federer, 捜し出すing to 妨げる him from becoming the first British man to 勝利，勝つ a Grand 激突する 肩書を与える since Fred Perry 74 years ago.

異常に, Federer has felt compelled to be antagonistic に向かって Murray, who has been 元気づけるd on in Melbourne by former ボクシング world 支持する／優勝者 Ricky Hatton, taking some いっそう少なく than subtle 発射s at the younger man - in English, or his native スイスの-German - and engaging in the 肉親，親類d of mind games more ありふれた in the fight game.

'It's up to me who 勝利，勝つs the 肩書を与える, 特に against a player who is not that 積極的な,' said Federer, speaking with the スイスの マスコミ here.

'Murray is strong enough and dangerous but he doesn't 運動 me nuts. The 圧力 is on Andy because he is playing me. One small victory would change everything for him as he would then be a 支持する／優勝者 of one major but a 敗北・負かす will 悪化させる thing s. I will be trying to make it as hard as possible for him.'

Murray leads their 長，率いる-to-長，率いる 会合s 6-4 but Federer 効果的に 否定するd that the 22-year-old from Dunblane had any part in those 敗北・負かすs over the past four years, in Cincinnati, Dubai, Madrid, Shanghai, Doha and Indian 井戸／弁護士席s, California. Federer was ill or his game was out of sorts, it seems.

He did 解任する, however, how he had 派遣（する）d Murray while barely breaking sweat on the only occasion they have met at a major, in the final of the US Open some 16 months ago.

'I hope Murray wants the first 始める，決める on Sunday as 不正に as he did in New York, and his 長，率いる 減少（する）s again when he doesn't 後継する,' he said. In truth, the 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 scoreline at 紅潮／摘発するing Meadows 反映するd the extent of the 損失 Federer （打撃，刑罰などを）与えるd.

Yet Murray has grown since that day, 肉体的に and mentally and is untroubled by the memories from his first 外見 in a Grand 激突する final, which he had to play with only 極小の 残り／休憩（する） after his 半分-final with Rafael Nadal spread over two days 予定 to the tail end of a ハリケーン blowing through New York.

'I'm a better player now and stronger, too,' he said last night. 'There is 圧力 but 非，不，無 more than the 圧力 I put on myself. Knowing this is what you have always 手配中の，お尋ね者 to do, what you have trained all your life for, 追加するs a little bit to that. But now I'm old enough to を取り引きする that and play 井戸／弁護士席 und er that 肉親，親類d of 圧力.

'I've played 井戸／弁護士席 against Federer in the past and always had chances. I 港／避難所't ever felt he's going to blow me off 法廷，裁判所.'

When Federer 示唆するd, during an oncourt interview after reaching the final on Friday night: 'I know Andy would like to 勝利，勝つ this first 肩書を与える for British tennis in, what is it, 150,000 years!', Murray was watching on TV at his rented apartment, a 10-minute walk from the 棒 Laver 円形競技場, with his coach, Miles Maclagan, fitness trainer, Jez Green and physio, Andy Ireland. 'Yeah, we laughed like everyone else,' he said.

'There were やめる a lot of people from Wimbledon and the LTA sitting on the 法廷，裁判所 and it would have been a little bit embarrassing for them. It's something I would like to change.

'You'll have to ask Federer if he is playing mind games. That stuff is irrelevant to me. He 取引，協定s with these 状況／情勢s his way and he's played very 井戸／弁護士席 in these circumstances. But in the past few years he's also lost a lot of の近くに matches in five 始める，決めるs, 含むing 激突する 決勝戦. That gives you the belief you can 勝利，勝つ against him. I've always been pretty respectful about his game. He's probably the greatest player who's ever played.

'But if every time he loses to me he thinks it's because he hasn't played his best, 井戸／弁護士席, every time I've lost against him I don't think I've played my best either.'

Murray's 直面する did n ot show a flicker of a smile. There is no known bad 血 between the men but the truth is the only man who has earned Federer's unyielding 尊敬（する）・点 is Nadal. In Federer's mind, the Spaniard is perhaps John McEnroe, without his 副／悪徳行為s, to his Bjorn Borg.

'We have had some incredible matches, the 競争 between me and Rafa is electric,' said Federer. 'With Murray, the 競争 has not yet caught 解雇する／砲火／射撃. Andy and I have had nothing to do with any 論争s but around Wimbledon it can get hectic as things can be laid between us. Outside the 法廷，裁判所, I have never had problems with him.'

Federer, 28, who has won a 記録，記録的な／記録する 15 Grand 激突する 肩書を与えるs, has been の近くに to his best at times over the past fortnight. He 要求するd one hour 28 minutes to account for Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in their 半分-final. His 地位，任命する-match マスコミ 需要・要求するs took almost as long.

Federer speaks eloquently in four languages - English, スイスの-German, French and German and no-one on the ATP 小旅行する is more poetic with a tennis 手渡す. In public, Murray 会談 reluctantly, only when 要求するd, but thatis a 手段 of his 当惑 at having to discuss himself in 前線 of cameras.

At the マスコミ 会議／協議会 he gave after （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域ing Marin Cilic, a stranger would have been hard 圧力（をかける）d not to have thought he had gatecrashed a family wake rather than been 招待するd to 株 the? jubilation of a man who had reached the final of one of the four grandest tournaments 行う／開催する／段階d around the world.

Yet he has been admirably 協同組合 and is an 極端に popular player in the locker room.

'Andy played 広大な／多数の／重要な tennis and competed really 井戸／弁護士席,' said （頭が）ひょいと動く Brett, who is coaching Cilic in the twilight of a career that has 伴う／関わるd 影響力のある 役割s in the lives of Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic. 'He's a decent young man, with a good sense of humour. He has become stronger than when he lost to Marin in the US Open and his 速度(を上げる） is impressive. He is also serving better. I went to wish him all the best for the final.'

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