Improbable as it seems, a title for Murray wouldn't be all that shocking
Even though the 22-year-old Nadal would win the third set and had the spectators yelling for more, more tennis, more Rafa; even though Murray failed to convert on seven break-point situations in the second game of the fourth set, a game that lasted 15 minutes; Murray never lost his cool. Or lost control.
"I thought I was playing well enough to win the match," Murray said. "I knew Nadal would come at me. But I managed to come through in the end."
No Brit has won the men's singles in the tournament since Fred Perry in 1936, the year he also was the last Brit to win Wimbledon. No native-born Brit even has played in the finals since then, although Canadian-born Greg Rusedski, who acquired English citizenship, made it that far in 1997.
For several years the great British hope was Tim Henman, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals a few times, but that was it. The country that gave the world the game of tennis has been desperate to give the world a champion -- as Murray is well aware.
Not that the wishes of his countrymen have been a particular burden, even if they proved to be for Henman.
"The things that prepared me for these situations," Murray said, "was when I went over to train in Spain when I was 15. It was much tougher being away from my family for a long time rather than whether people expect me to win Slams or Wimbledon.
"In the past, I maybe did think about pressure because I hadn't worked as hard as I should have, but now that's not the case."
Murray doesn't figure to defeat Federer. But as the No. 8 seed, he didn't figure to defeat Nadal. And Murray has a winning record against Federer -- two out of three, taking the past two, including one at Dubai early in 2008.
"I've played well against him," said Murray, who is just prickly enough, with that that Scottish skepticism, and just confident enough to make it big in tennis.
"I think a Slam final is different to matches I played against him before. He's won over 30 matches here (the past 33 in succession) ... loads of experience, and it's something new for me. I know I'm going to have to play great to have a chance of winning, but I've played well the last couple of weeks."
Someone wondered if Murray was familiar with the musical Brigadoon, in which an enchanted village materializes out of the mist in the Scottish highlands every 100 years.
"No," said Murray. That's all right. He's the first Scot to emerge in the U.S. Open in history.
