"A special performance"

29 January, 2010 | 20:01

For some players, reaching a Slam final is something to be cherished in and of itself, a warm glow in which to bask on those winter evenings when the tennis shoes have long since been hung up.

For other players - and they're fewer in number - getting there isn't enough: victory is what it's all about, regardless of the opposition.

"I want to be remembered for winning these things," Andy told the BBC.

"I think [I can win it]. 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."

After sweeping aside everyone placed in front of him this fortnight, Andy has every right to feel confident, even if the guy on the other side of the net is quite possibly the G.O.A.T.

"There's a lot of pressure in Slam finals and if it's Roger, he's going to have the edge in experience.

"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."

Beating Federer in a slam final isn't easy, and only Nadal and Del Potro have managed it. But Andy's fine with that.

"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."

And what if he was to end Britain's 74-year wait for a Grand Slam champion?

"I want to win it for the people that I work with, for my parents, who 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."

Come Sunday morning, many of those people will be joined by Sir Chris Hoy, and perhaps Ricky Hatton in Andy's box. They'll all be hoping for the same result.