AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL - Murray v Federer/Tsonga
**Venue: **Melbourne Park ** Date/time: **0830 GMT, Sun 31 January
BBC coverage:](http://www.paklinks.com/sport2/low/tennis/6102132.stm)Live on BBC Two, HD, BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 live
**Andy Murray believes he is ready to end Britain’s 74-year wait for a male Grand Slam singles winner after reaching his maiden Australian Open final.**The 22-year-old beat Marin Cilic to become Britain’s first finalist in Melbourne since 1977, but he said: “I want to be remembered for winning it.”
Asked if he thought he could triumph, he told BBC 5 live: "Yes, I think so.
“I’ve played my best tennis so far, I just need to do it in one more match. I’ll give it my best shot.”
Murray will meet Roger Federer or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his second Grand Slam final on Sunday after coming from a set down to beat Cilic.
“There’s a lot of pressure in Slam finals and if it’s Roger, he’s going to have the edge in experience,” said world number four Murray, who lost to Federer in the 2008 US Open final.
“But I feel like if I play my best like I have been this week and fight hard, I’ve definitely got a chance of winning.”
“I want to win it obviously for the people that I work with, for my parents… then doing it for British tennis and British sport would be excellent as well”
Andy Murray
Murray dropped his first set of the tournament in his semi-final against Cilic, and was struggling for inspiration when he trailed 6-3 2-2.
But, with a break point, Murray chased down a drop shot, produced a volley on the stretch before racing back to the baseline, spinning, and rifling an outrageous forehand pass down the line.
As a stunned crowd rose to its feet, a fired-up Murray pumped his fists and roared his approval.
“They don’t happen that often, so you’ve got to enjoy them,” he said later.
“It was really important because, I don’t want to say the match was slipping away from me but the momentum was definitely with him.”
From there, Murray swept to a 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 win over a tiring opponent in a minute over three hours.
The Scot now has two days’ rest before Sunday’s final.
Federer and 2008 beaten finalist Tsonga meet on Friday in the second semi-final, with world number one and three-time champion Federer the favourite to come through.
“Roger’s record in Slams speaks for itself,” said Murray, who also tipped Federer to beat Tsonga.
"He had a great year last year, making all four finals. The two that he lost were incredibly tough five-setters.
"If I’m going to play against him, it will take a special performance to win against him, but I feel like I can do that.
“Tsonga, he’s one of the most exciting guys to watch because of his athleticism and the way that he plays. He’s obviously had great results here in the past.”
In reaching the final, Murray matched John Lloyd’s 1977 run but he has his sights firmly set on ending Britain’s long wait for a male Grand Slam singles champion.
“I’d obviously love to do it,” he said.
"I want to win it obviously for the people that I work with, for my parents, who obviously helped me when I was growing up, then doing it for British tennis and British sport would be excellent as well.
“But the pressure that I feel doesn’t come from the people that are around me. They obviously are happy with anything that I do.”
Murray was congratulated by, among others, Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
“I hope he wins this, as a major tournament,” he told BBC 5 live. “It would be great news. He’s a great tennis player and a great guy.”
606: DEBATE
“Andy Murray is playing some sublime tennis at present”
mogsysherrflick
And speaking at First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament, Scotland first minister Alex Salmond congratulated Murray on today’s win.
“I am sure the whole chamber will want to congratulate Andy Murray on reaching the Australian Open final,” he said.
Cilic was playing in his first Grand Slam semi-final, and had been taken to five sets three times en route.
The 21-year-old said Murray “deserved to win” but added: “I wouldn’t say that I was 100%, but I gave my best, and that’s the most important thing.”
The Croat rated Murray’s chances of lifting the trophy on Sunday as “pretty good”.
He continued: “He reads the game easily, he can serve well. Very good overall player and not easy to play, especially on hard courts.”