A tough first shot

Andy Murray of Britain reacts after he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France during their semifinal match at Wimbledon on Friday. [Photo/Agencies]

Once again, Roger Federer will be playing in the Wimbledon final. For once, it will be against Andy Murray.

A few hours after Federer reached his modern era-record eighth final at the All-England Club, Murray advanced to his first - and the first for a British man since Bunny Austin in 1938.

"There is a lot of pressure and stress around this time of year," said Murray, who beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 on Friday. "I don't feel it when I'm on the practice court or when I'm just walking around. I try not to think about that stuff.

"But in the back of my mind, it's there."

Federer played top-ranked Novak Djokovic under the roof on Center Court, and looked a lot like the player who has won six titles on the very same grass. The 16-time Grand Slam champion defeated last year's winner 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, and is now one victory from equaling Pete Sampras' record of seven Wimbledon titles.

"I have one more match to go. I'm aware of that," said the 30-year-old Federer, who is 6-1 in Wimbledon finals and now 1-0 against Djokovic on grass. "Still, it's always nice beating someone like Novak, who has done so well here last year, the last couple years."

The victory improved Federer's semifinal record at the All-England Club to 8-0. His only loss in the final came in 2008, when Rafael Nadal beat him 9-7 in the fifth set.

The shotmaking will do the talking in the final.

Federer will almost certainly have the psychological edge against Murray. Not only has he been at this stage seven times before, but he has beaten Murray in straight sets in two Grand Slam finals - at the 2008 US Open and the 2010 Australian Open.

Murray is 0-3 in Grand Slam finals - 0-9 in sets in those three matches - and will also have the expectations of his country squarely on his shoulders. The British public has been waiting for a men's Wimbledon champion for 76 years, since Fred Perry won the last of his three titles in 1936.

"I'm going to need all their help on Sunday because it's a massive challenge to win against Roger in the final of a slam, at Wimbledon," Murray said. "I hope that all of the crowd is with me."

Only minutes after the win over Tsonga, British Prime Minister David Cameron called the victory "great news," perhaps piling even more pressure on Murray.

"I'll be watching the final on Sunday and like the rest of the country, will be getting right behind Andy Murray," Cameron said in a statement. "I wish him the best of luck."

While a victory for Murray will be celebrated all over Britain, Federer is playing for more history. A victory in his 24th Grand Slam final would again give him the No 1 ranking, and equal Sampras' record of 286 weeks as the top-ranked player.

Associated Pressin Wimbledon, England