adminchampion finally ended his run of Grand Slam failures against the Swiss world number two, winning their semi-final 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2 in exactly four hours.
Murray is now into in his third Australian final and will play defending champion Novak Djokovic tomorrow, a rematch of the US Open decider when the Scot won his first Grand Slam title last September.
Murray extended his record over Federer, the 17-time major champion, to 11-9, but it was his first victory over Federer in four Grand Slam matches.
It will be Murray’s sixth Grand Slam final and he is the first Briton to reach three Australian Open finals.
“It’s always tough against Roger and he’s at his best in the Grand Slams and when his back is against the wall, and (when) I was serving for the match at 6-5 he produced some great shots,” Murray said.
“I kept fighting and he made a few loose shots early in the fifth set and I stuck in.”
Murray, who has now extended his unbeaten run in Grand Slam matches to 13, broke Federer’s serve six times, while dropping his own serve twice, and hit 62 winners, including 21 aces, to 47 unforced errors while Federer committed more errors than winners.
Murray began the better and had five break points in Federer’s opening two service games, culminating in breaking the Swiss in the third game.
The Scot was keeping on Federer’s backhand and earned two more break points before Federer held in the seventh. Murray went on to take the opening set in 45 minutes, but Federer came back in the second. Games went with serve to a tiebreaker and Federer got the early jump on the back of two forehand errors.
Murray got back one of the mini-breaks but Federer seized on a mishit smash and rammed home a forehand winner for set point, and levelled the match on an overhit forehand.
Murray appeared to be having calf muscle trouble in the third set but he broke Federer in the sixth and went on to take a two sets to one lead with an ace.
The Scot went down on the court wincing as he chased an early break in the fourth set, but it was Federer who struck. Murray fought off two break points but a wide forehand gave the Swiss a break.
He got back the break in the eighth and broke Federer a second time to serve for the match, but was broken on a forehand error.
Federer played a great tiebreaker with three mini-breaks to send the match into a fifth set.
But Murray was too strong in the deciding set with two service breaks to take the match and his second win over Federer on the big stage after last year’s Olympic final.
“I’ve been known for losing a lot of tough matches and big matches, especially here a few times, and having never beaten Roger in a big match until the Olympics,” he said.
“That obviously helps but it doesn’t make it any easier when you’re trying to serve it out.”
Federer, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions he was slipping off the pace at the top of men’s tennis after his five-set loss to Murray yesterday.
Federer, at 31 the senior member of the “Big Four”, went down in a four-hour duel with third seed Murray as he suffered his third straight semi-final defeat in Melbourne.
But the world number two, who holds a record 17 Grand Slam titles, insisted “nothing has changed” in his match-ups against his younger rivals Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Murray.
“Well, nothing has changed. I’ve played these guys, what, 60 times, the three guys around me in the rankings,” Federer said.
“So we know each other really well. We play each other very close very often. Keep on trading wins and losses.”
Federer said Djokovic, bidding for his fourth Australian title against Murray in tomorrow’s final, has taken a step forward but he said he was excited about his prospects for the year ahead.
“Novak has done probably the best job getting more wins than losses. That’s why he’s ranked where he is,” he said.
“I enjoy the matches with Rafa (Nadal), Novak and also Andy again tonight. It’s nice playing five sets against him. It was tough tennis. I enjoy that.
“So I go from here with a good feeling for the year. I didn’t play a tournament leading in, so now obviously I know where my level is at.
“I also know that I have even more time to work on my game, work on my fitness this year. It’s something I’m excited about.”
Federer acknowledged he was always chasing in yesterday’s semi-final against Murray, but he said he had his chances.
“Obviously, I was down in the score basically from the start. Definitely it was more of a chase. I was able to level it a couple of times,” he said.
“It was a tough match. I had my chances. Obviously you’re going to go through a five setter with some regrets. But overall I think Andy was a bit better than I was tonight. I had to find my range a little bit early on and then adjust my game style as well, the way I was playing.
“So he did a good job of getting me there. I was hoping to do a bit better, but overall I’m pretty pleased with the tournament. I played good tennis. I’m moving well and was fit in the 10 sets I played in the last two matches.
“I’m upbeat about the tournament, but it’s disappointing, going out in five. You know, it’s not the first time it’s happened here.”
Federer has now lost in five sets five times at the Australian Open, including the 2009 final when defeat to Nadal left him in tears. — AFP.
Online Reporter