ROGER FEDERER V ANDY MURRAY: AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMI-FINAL
Venue: Melbourne Park Date: Friday, 25 January Time: 08:30 GMT

Andy Murray says winning the US Open and Olympic gold in 2012 will help him going into Friday’s Australian Open semi-final against Roger Federer.
The Briton takes on the 17-time Grand Slam champion in the night session on Rod Laver Arena from 08:30 GMT.

Andy Murray says winning the US Open and Olympic gold in 2012 will help him going into Friday’s Australian Open semi-final against Roger Federer.
The Briton takes on the 17-time Grand Slam champion in the night session on Rod Laver Arena from 08:30 GMT.

“Roger has played some tough players, and a variety of different styles, so I’d say he’s been tested pretty well,” said the 25-year-old.
“I played a lot of tennis in December – I had some good matches in Brisbane – so I can’t be disappointed about being in the semis of a Slam without dropping a set. That would be silly.”

Federer agreed, saying: “I would probably rather be in his shoes. Has he lost a set? I don’t think he has. That’s exactly how you want to approach a semi-final match.”

While Murray leads the head-to-head with Federer 10-9, the Swiss has won all three of their meetings at Grand Slams – in the finals of the 2008 US Open, the 2010 Australian Open and last year’s Wimbledon .
“I don’t go into it with a mindset that I’ve never lost to him in Slams,” said Federer. “He’s beaten me so many times. He’s beaten me more times than I’ve beaten him.

“But I’m happy you’ve given me the positive news. It’s a good vibe. I’ll try to remember that when I walk out, but it doesn’t play a huge role for me.”
And the world number two said he was impressed by the way Murray has altered his game to become more of a potent attacking force.

“That’s what matters the most for him now – in the moment itself, how offensive can you play when the ball is coming flat and hard into the middle?

“You have to know also when to back off. He’s very clever at all these things. He knows how it works. But I think it’s especially on the return that you see the biggest significant change in his game overall if you look back now.”

Federer will be playing his fifth successive night match in the semi-final, while Murray has not made the late match once, and planned two evening practice sessions on the nearby Hisense Arena to get used to the conditions under lights.

But Federer suggested the court “doesn’t play that different” at night, and Murray was not about to make an issue of it.
“The scheduling, for me, is part and parcel of playing in any tennis tournament,” he said. “It’s tough to make the schedule perfect for every single player.

“I have no complaints about the schedule at all, and I didn’t complain about it the other day.”

Courtesy: BBC.CO.UK