Andy Murray insists the burden of history will not be sitting heavily on his shoulders as he bids to end the 74-year wait for a British men's singles champion at Wimbledon.
The fourth seed takes on world number one Rafael Nadal bidding for a first appearance in the final at the All England Club.
Murray found himself in the same situation last year but was beaten in four sets by Andy Roddick. The Scot appeared tense on his big day on Centre Court but he does not feel extra pressure in being the latest man to try to emulate Fred Perry.
He said: "It's obviously been a huge, huge wait for us, and it's still going on now. The crowd obviously would love to see a British player win Wimbledon. It's something that you just learn to deal with. It doesn't affect the way that I play. It's not something that you're thinking about when you're on the court at all."
Murray can also draw confidence from his grand slam performances against Nadal, which, the Wimbledon loss aside, have brought one five-set defeat and two victories.
The most recent of those wins came in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January, when Murray was two sets and 3-0 up when Nadal retired with knee problems.
The Spaniard was full of praise for his opponent that day and he is certain the world number four will not always be a grand slam nearly man. "He is ready to win a grand slam and one day he will," said the 24-year-old. "But let's hope it will not be this one."
