Wimbledon 2009: Andy Murray fears no-one on court

No British male tennis player has played in a Wimbledon final for 71 years, but Andy Murray remains his own man. "I've never gone on court against anyone thinking I couldn't beat them," he says.

Shooting practice: Andy Murray hones his serve before he meets big hitter Andy Roddick in the men's singles semi-finals Photo: GETTY IMAGES

It is a self-assured 22 year-old who will play the American, Andy Roddick, in the semi-finals today. Murray, Britain’s world No 3, believes he has the ability to beat anyone here, even Roger Federer should they meet in Sunday’s final. “I never go on court fearing Federer or anyone else.”

If he defeats Roddick this afternoon – and the home nation is on a nine-match losing sequence in the semi-finals – Murray will be the first Briton to reach the men’s final at the All England Club since Bunny Austin in 1938. Most likely he would find himself playing Federer for the title on Sunday, as the Swiss is expected to defeat Germany’s Tommy Haas today.

Murray has said that he always trusts his talent on grass, and so when he plays Roddick, and then perhaps Federer, he will not walk on to Centre Court full of self-doubt. He is trying to become the first home champion on the Wimbledon lawns since Fred Perry in 1936.

The Scot has won six of his eight career matches with Roddick, including their only previous meeting at Wimbledon, in the third round in 2006. He has won the last three matches they have played. Murray also has a 6-2 head-to-head record against Federer, having won their last four encounters.

On his first Wimbledon semi-finals appearance, Murray will be trying to reach his second grand slam final, following on from finishing as runner-up to Federer at last season’s US Open.

The Swiss player, meanwhile, is attempting to reach a seventh consecutive Wimbledon final. He won the Challenge Cup for five summers in succession, from 2003 to 2007, but lost to Rafael Nadal in last year’s title match.

“Every time I’ve played against Federer, I’ve felt like I have had a chance to beat him,” Murray said yesterday. “I understand I have to play well against him to beat him, but I’ve never thought that it was the right attitude to go into a match thinking that you don’t have a chance.”

Tim Henman lost all four of his Wimbledon semi-finals, with his last defeat in 2002. “For me, it’s not about what Tim did. I’m trying to do something I’ve never done before,” Murray said.