Wimbledon 2016: Andy Murray faces Tomas Berdych in semi-finals

Britain’s Andy Murray will attempt to reach his third Wimbledon final when he plays Tomas Berdych on Friday.

Murray, 29, is bidding for a second Wimbledon and third Grand Slam title, while his Czech rival was runner-up at Wimbledon in 2010.

In the other semi-final, seven-time champion Roger Federer will take on Canada’s sixth seed Milos Raonic.

Federer is aiming to win his 18th Grand Slam title and first since beating Murray in the Wimbledon final in 2012.

Murray soothed by Lendl

Since reuniting with coach Ivan Lendl before the Aegon Championships, second seed Murray has won 10 straight matches, including the final at Queen’s.

Some wise judges believe the Scot is playing the best tennis of his career, even better than when he won the Wimbledon title in 2013.

“I think it’s beneficial having him [Ivan] there, because I trust him and have a lot of confidence in him,” said Murray, after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a five-set quarter-final thriller.

“He can help when I’m on the court a little bit, just with his presence. It might be a small amount but every little bit helps.

“But the pre-match stuff, the work that you do in preparation for the matches, is where you get the big benefit.”

Berdych rebuffed

If Murray sees off Berdych he will reach his 11th Grand Slam final, beating the British record held by Fred Perry since 1936.

Murray leads 10th seed Berdych 8-6 in head-to-heads, including their last four matches. Berdych, who lost to Rafael Nadal in the 2010 final, has never won a major title.

After beating Lucas Pouille in his quarter-final, Berdych revealed that he asked fellow Czech Lendl to coach him in May, but was rejected.

“He basically said that he didn’t have the time and he didn’t want to be involved in tennis,” Berdych said of the eight-time Grand Slam winner, who split from Murray in 2014.

“Then he came back to Andy. So that’s how it is.”

Federer getting better?

Federer, who recovered from two sets down and saved three match points against Marin Cilic in his quarter-final, is bidding to become the first man to win eight Wimbledon titles.

The Swiss great, who was runner-up to Novak Djokovic last year, is also bidding to reach his 11th Wimbledon and 28th Grand Slam final.

At 34, Federer is bidding to become the oldest man to reach a Wimbledon final since Ken Rosewall, who was 39 when he finished runner-up in 1974.

And Federer was relaxed about the physical effects of his epic victory over Cilic, emphasising the belief and confidence he took from surviving such a test.

“It’s really encouraging for me to see that I am improving. As the match went on, I was able to sustain a really high level of play,” said Federer.

“My legs were there, my back was there. Plus mentally, this is going to give me a hell of a boost. I am ecstatic that I was able to come through somehow.”

Some McEnroe swagger?

If the 25-year-old Raonic beats Federer, he will be the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam final.

Raonic, who has sent down 114 aces in this year’s tournament and is coached by three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, was beaten by Federer in straight sets in the 2014 semis.

Raonic, who was runner-up to Murray at Queen’s last month, has only won two out of nine matches against Federer but prevailed in their most recent meeting in Brisbane in January.

And Raonic believes more aggression, both in his play and personality on court, might put Federer off his timing.

“The first things John and I focused on was not passing up any opportunities to come forward, to always keep the pressure on my opponents, keep them guessing,” said Raonic.

“Then when we played the tournament at Queen’s, it shifted to putting those things in effect and also to attitude on the court.

“Roger can come up with great things. I need to take his rhythm and timing from him. That’s what I’m going to be striving to do.”

What the experts say

Pat Cash, 1987 Wimbledon champion on Murray-Berdych: “This will be closer than most people think, with many saying Andy is through to the final already.

“I think Andy will win but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it going to five sets.

“Berdych is hitting his forehand big, he is moving well around the net, he is serving well and he has a lot of experience on the grass.

“The grass gives him a little more power and he is one of the hardest hitting players on the circuit. He can spray them but at the moment he isn’t so that’s why I think he will get a set or two.”

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