Andy Murray makes the Australian Open final

Andy Murray took a step closer to making history today, when he beat Croatian Marin Cilic to reach the final of the Australian Open. The win sees Murray become the first British male to reach the final of the Australian Open since John Lloyd in 1977.

After dropping the first set thanks to poor service - the first time in this tournament he has done so - Murray shrugged off the tension, coming back to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

The winning point was particularly spectacular, involving a sprint wide of the tramlines to a point almost off camera, from where he somehow managed to return the ball to a disbelieving and impotent Cilic.

Murray said of the shot, which left the crowd awestruck: "I actually practise this shot quite a lot in training. I never relax, my mouth is so big. It was a great shot. I managed to turn it in."

The Scot goes on to play either Roger Federer or Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. If the 22-year-old Scot wins, he will become the first British man to win a major since Fred Perry's last Wimbledon in 1936.

Sunday's match will be Murray's second attempt at a grand slam title; he lost his first at the US Open last year to Federer. Murray, anticipating his chance for revenge, said: "If Federer gets through, I would love to beat him in a grand slam final." ·