Federer again, Murray for once in Wimbledon final

[July 07, 2012]  WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- 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 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 Centre 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.

On Saturday, four-time champion Serena Williams will face Agnieszka Radwanska in the women's final. Radwanska will be playing in her first Grand Slam final, despite a respiratory illness that has been making it difficult for her to speak.

In the men's final on Sunday, it will be the shotmaking that does the talking.

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 U.S. 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, when 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, sandwiched between the Queen's Jubilee last month and the upcoming London Olympics, 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.

"There's a lot on the line for me in terms of winning here, the all-time Grand Slam record, world No. 1," Federer said. "I'm also going into that match with some pressure, but I'm excited about it. That's what I play for."

William Renshaw and Arthur Gore also played in eight Wimbledon finals but that was when the defending champion received a bye into the following year's title match. That rule was changed in 1922. Renshaw won seven titles and Gore three.

Despite Federer's chances for a history-making win, it could be the Murray factor that draws Queen Elizabeth II to the All England Club on Sunday.

The queen came to Wimbledon in 2010 -- the first time she had made the trip in 33 years. She skipped last year, but Murray playing in the final could be reason enough for a royal reappearance.

"I'm not sure if she'll be here on Sunday," Murray said, "but it would be nice."

 [Associated Press; By CHRIS LEHOURITES]

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