MELBOURNE - Andy Murray battled past Roger Federer in five sets to reach his third Australian Open and sixth Grand Slam final.The Briton, seeded third, will face world number one Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final after beating Federer 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-2.It required a dramatic four hours on Rod Laver Arena, with Murray dominating for the most part but Federer’s brilliance keeping him alive. The Scot served superbly, firing down 21 aces, only for Federer to dominate the two tie-breaks.And after failing to serve out the match in the fourth set, it looked as though Murray might have missed his chance when it came down to a fifth.However, just like he did in winning his first major title at the US Open, Murray rose to the occasion in the deciding set and raced away with it.Federer had needed five sets to win his quarter-final against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga two days earlier, and he was overpowered this time.An early break when Federer framed a backhand was enough as the Murray rediscovered the potent serving of the early stages, closing it out when Federer sent a forehand long.‘It’s always tough against him in a Slam, that’s when he plays his best tennis,’ said Murray. ‘When his back was against the wall he came up with some unbelievable shots, but then he missed a few in the fifth set and I got through.
