Stan provides Murray’s Open inspiration

History suggests otherwise but Andy Murray believes there’s no reason he cannot win the Australian Open final on Sunday night at his fifth attempt, and his fourth against Novak Djokovic.

Three times in the last five years Djokovic has defeated Murray in a decider at Rod Laver Arena.

While others might view that bruising record as a millstone, Murray sees it as an accomplishment.

“Five finals is a great achievement. You can’t take that away from me,” he said after outlasting Milos Raonic in his five-set semi-final on Friday.

“There’s very few players that will have made five Australian Open finals, so I have to be proud.”

Indeed, only three other men have made five Australian Open finals; Stefan Edberg, Roger Federer and Djokovic, who will play his sixth.

But no one has lost the final of the same slam four times to triumph at the fifth time of asking.

Murray believes he can.

To prove his point and perhaps for inspiration, Murray pointed to Stan Wawrinka’s breakthrough at Melbourne Park in 2014.

Wawrinka beat Djokovic, the defending champion, in the quarter-finals on the back of 14 straight losses to the Serb.

In the final he confronted Rafael Nadal with a 0-13 record but prevailed to leave the court as a grand slam champion.

“It doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past. It’s about what happens on Sunday,” Murray said.

Murray has already created history at Melbourne Park, in tandem with his brother Jamie.

The pair have become the first brothers to qualify for singles and doubles final at the same slam for the first time in the Open era.

As Jamie takes the court on Saturday alongside Bruno Soares, taking on Daniel Nestor and Radek Stepanek, Andy won’t be watching.

“I try not to watch. I find it pretty stressful,” he confessed.

“But for it to be the first time to happen is incredible.

“Even at the beginning of last year Jamie had only maybe made one quarter of a slam before Wimbledon.

“We should enjoy it and be proud of it because it’s a tough thing to do.”

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