Roger Federer is through to his 22nd Grand Slam final after defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in a near-flawless display Friday at the Australian Open. Federer, seeking his fourth Australian title, hopes to reverse his tear-filled exit from last year's final when he was beaten by Rafael Nadal, the left-handed Spaniard's first hard-court title. This time, the man between Federer and another title here Sunday will be Andy Murray, whose motivation has been fueled by a 74-year drought for British men in Grand Slam singles. He's taking part in his second final, having been beaten at the US Open in 2008 by Federer. Murray beat Marin Cilic in the Australian Open semifinals. Now, hopes are high in the United Kingdom that he could be the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win a major singles title. “I know he'd like to win the first for British tennis since what is it, 150,000 years?” Federer joked to the crowd amid much laughter. “The poor guy who has to go through those moments over and over again ... “ Later, Federer, in a calm, casual way, sent some verbal shots to Murray. “I don't feel like the pressure's really on me having to do it again, because I did it before,” said Federer, who has won a record 15 Grand Slam singles titles. “I think he really needs it more than I do. So I think the pressure's big on him. We'll see how he's going to handle it. It's not going to be easy for him, that's for sure.” If Federer plays Sunday the way he did Friday against Tsonga, the drought could continue for at least another Grand Slam. “Don't mess with Roger,” one fan wrote on a sign at Rod Laver Arena. And the shell-shocked Tsonga didn't. Federer reached his 18th final in the last 19 Grand Slam events by overpowering the 2008 Australian Open finalist. His semifinal loss here to Novak Djokovic in 2008 being the only break in the finals sequence. Federer did not face a break point against Tsonga. “It's nice going through a match like that,” Federer said. “I think against top players, it's always positive if you can win the first set. Maybe mentally he was more fatigued than physically,” added Federer. “That's unfortunate for him.” Tsonga hit a backhand into the net on break point to give Federer a 2-1 lead in the third set, and the match was all but over. The 24-year-old Frenchman double-faulted on break point to give Federer a 4-1 lead in the third, and Federer clinched it on his serve in 88 minutes when Tsonga hit a forehand wide. “Yes, there are moments when it's frustrating where you can't put the ball where you want it and you make mistakes,” Tsonga said. Asked to provide advice to Murray, Tsonga said: “Be ready to run.” Earlier Friday, Serena Williams completed one half of an Australian Open double when she and older sister Venus Williams won the women's doubles title. Serena heads into Saturday's singles final against Justine Henin in Melbourne on a winning note after defending her doubles crown with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Zimbabwe's Cara Black and American Liezel Huber at Rod Laver Arena. The win gave them their 11th Grand Slam doubles championship and their fourth at Melbourne Park – and also preserved their perfect record in Grand Slam finals. “I guess I was really focused and my serve was really working today,” Venus told reporters after not conceding a single service break. “They played really like a team and were really coming into the net and just doing everything right. So Serena and I just had to work together.” Nadal out for 4 weeks Rafael Nadal will miss at least four weeks of competition due to the knee injury that forced him out of the Australian Open, his agent announced Friday. Doctors recommended the Spaniard take two weeks and rest recovery, after he underwent an MRI scan Thursday in Barcelona. The mercurial Spaniard limped out of his engrossing Australian Open quarterfinal Tuesday with Murray early in the third set, trailing by two sets, with a recurrence of a knee injury that blighted his 2009 season.
