A tearful Andy Murray insisted he was good enough to win a Grand Slam in reaction to his 6-3 6-4 7-6 (13/11) defeat by Roger Federer in the Australian Open final on Sunday (7/4 ‘Yes’ Murray Wins A Grand Slam In 2010).

The 22-year-old (10/3 second favourite 2010 Wimbledon Men’s Outright) succumbed to his second major final defeat to the same opponent following his 2008 US Open straight sets shocker by Federer, but was hearted by his performance in reaching the final at the Rod Laver Arena.

Muray said: “I’m getting closer (to a Grand Slam). My results in the Grand Slams would show that.

“I’ve just got to keep working hard.”

The Scot will now rise to number three in the world ranking and is pleased to be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Murray said his run to the final at Melbourne Park had given him the belief that he could now go on and make his Grand Slam breakthrough.

He added: “I worked really hard to get to this stage. I wanted to win the tournament.

“It was pretty emotional at the end of the match, but I’m hungry to win one. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was 16 or 17, but so far it’s not been good enough.

“I’m sure one day it will be. When it comes, maybe because of the two losses, it will be even better.”

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Defending champion Serena Williams (8/13 2010 Australian Open - Women’s Outright) admitted she had resigned herself to defeat before storming back to reach the semi-finals and shatter the Australian Open dream for Victoria Azarenka.

The top seed came from a set and 4-0 down to post a 4-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 win on the Rod Laver Arena to set up a last-four showdown with surprise package Li Na (16/1 2010 Australian Open - Women’s Outright) of China.

The big-hitting American, who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2003, revealed she was thinking of her flight home at her lowest point against Azarenka.

The match turned on its head towards the end of the second set when Williams, who said she was “shocked” and “surprised” to get through, rallied to win five games in a row.

“I didn’t expect to win when I was down 0-4,” said Williams.

“I was actually thinking ‘if I lose today and I lose in doubles I think I can catch a flight on Friday’. That’s not what a champion is supposed to think, but that’s what I was thinking.

‘I’m just happy to still be here.”

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Sam Stosur has said she cannot wait to renew hostilities with defending champion Serena Williams when they meet in the last 16 of the Australian Open.

Big-hitter Williams, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, made sure of her progress by completing a 6-0 6-3 victory over Carla Suarez-Navarro.

Stosur, the 13th seed at Melbourne Park, opened play on Rod Laver Arena with a 6-4 6-1 triumph against Alberta Brianti of Italy.

The pair’s last meeting, on the Stanford hard courts in 2009, in which Australian number one Stosur prevailed 6-2 3-6 6-2, ended in controversy when Williams suggested her opponent was a good “framer”, implying many of her winning shots were miss hits.

Stosur said she was looking forward to challenge of facing the formidable American to prove she can mix it with the elite of women’s tennis.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Stosur. “I’ve lived up to my expectation and I’ve got to where I should have got to.

“Playing the number one player in the world, defending champion, I can go out there and really enjoy it.”

World number one Roger Federer suggested he has not yet hit top gear at the Australian Open in response to his 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over 31st seed Albert Montanes.

Montanes was not allowed a single break-point opportunity in what was a one-sided third-round encounter on the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

The win secured Federer his 50th victory at the Australian Open and keeps the Swiss superstar in contention for a fourth title.

“I feel good, I feel confident,” Federer said.

“Physically I’m fine and fresh and that’s how you want to feel going into the second week.”

The 15-time Grand Slam champion, contesting his 11th successive Australian Open, will next face the winner of the match between home fancy Lleyton Hewitt and 2006 finalist Marcos Baghdatis (Baghdatis 11/10 Hewitt 4/6 In Play) in round four.

British hope Andy Murray remains on course for a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time in his career following his 7-5 6-1 6-4 third-round success against Florent Serra – but has warned of a much tougher challenge against either Gael Monfils or John Isner in the fourth round (4/1 4th Round - Murray Stage Of Elimination).

The 22-year-old was tested in the opening exchanges by world number 64 Serra but looked much more comfortable as the match unfolded.

The fifth raced raced to a 3-0 lead before finally edging the first set whereas the second set was a lot more routine.

The young Scot survived another wobble in the third to wrap up his third consecutive straight-sets win.

“The first set was a bit closer than it needed to be. I had chances to go 4-0 up,” he told BBC Sport. “I am delighted to win in straight sets.”

He will now face the winner of the game between Monfils, seeded 12th, of France and Isner of America.

“Both are really tough players,” he added. “Monfils is one of the best athletes on the tour - he can chase every ball down and is very unpredictable.

“Isner is tough. He won last week and beat Andy Roddick at the US Open. He is 6′9″ and causes people problems.”

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British number one Andy Murray set up a third-round (10/1 3rd round Murray Stage Of Elimination) Australian Open clash against Florent Serra of France – and described his form as “solid”.

Murray (11/2 Australian Open 2010 - Men’s Outright)  raced to a routine 6-1 6-4 6-3 victory against Marc Gicquel, also of France, under the lights with some blistering tennis.

The young Scot powered his way to a 6-1 lead in just 24 minutes and looked comfortable in the second one he got an early break.

The world number five was broken for the first time in the event in the third but broke back twice against his opponent, ranked number 57 in the world, in blustery conditions at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Park.

A delighted Murray, who has never made it past the fourth round at the Australian Open, said: “It was a good performance because the conditions were tricky. I thought it was solid.”

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Andy Murray has said he will not have any qualms about who he faces in his quest for a maiden grand slam at the Australian Open (11/8 ‘Yes’ - Murray Wins A Grand Slam In 2010).

The British number one’s worst fears were confirmed on Friday when the draw for the opening major of 2010 was revealed, with Murray facing the unenviable task of potentially taking on three of the world’s top four players - including world number one Roger Federer and reigning Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal – at Melbourne Park (Murray 6/1 Murray Stage Of Elimination - Beaten Finalist).

The young Scot – who has never made it past the last 16 at the Australian Open – should breeze past a qualifier in his first-round, while either Marc Giquel or Simone Bolelli should not pose a problem in round two.

But it is in the later rounds, where Murray could face Nadal in the last eight, US open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the semi-finals before taking on Federer in the final, where the 22-year-old could come unstuck.

However, Murray accepts to have any chance of breaking his grand slam duck he must beat the best.

“If you get to the quarter-finals you’re going to have to beat the best players anyway,” he said.

“Maybe it will be one more than normal but you’re banking on the top four seeds getting to the quarter-finals and you never know.

“There are always some surprises in there and I need to make sure I get there myself first.”

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Novak Djokovic (11/2 Men’s Australian Open 2010 - Outright) assured his followers he will be ready for the Australian Open, starting on January, in reaction to his shock 6-1 6-2 defeat by Fernando Verdasco at the Kooyong Classic.

The Serb, seeded three for the opening grand slam of 2010 at Melbourne Park, insisted he was not fazed by his straight-sets drubbing by the world number nine (50/1 Men’s Australian Open 2010 - Outright) and stressed he will be in top condition for his opener against Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain.

“The results don’t really matter,” Djokovic said.

“The main point of my participation here is to get a good practice, get some points and games before the Australian Open, which is of course my main priority.”

The world number three, the 2008 Australian Open champion, said he was ready to face the sweltering heat of Melbourne and the conditions, such as exhaustion and soreness, that forced him to retire in the quarter-finals against former world number one Andy Roddick when attempting to retain his trophy last year.

“I’ve been working hard physically, especially putting a priority on that to get stronger and get a good endurance in order to play these five-set matches,” he said.

“That’s what the grand slams are all about, especially here in Australia with the heat, so I feel quite good about that.”

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Three-time champion Justine Henin has pulled out of the Sydney International, which starts on Sunday, so that she will be fit for the Australian Open (Justine Henin 9/2 Australian Open 2010 - Women’s Outright).

The former world number one (5/4 ‘Yes’ - Henin Wins A Grand Slan In 2010) suffered a left gluteal strain during her closely-fought 6-3 4-6 7-6 (8-6) defeat by countrywoman Kim Clijsters in the final of the Brisbane International and revealed she needs rest.

The 27-year-old, who was making her return to the WTA Tour after 20 months in retirement, has until January 18 to get ready for the start of the first major of 2010 in Melbourne.

“I’m very disappointed that I can’t play the Medibank International Sydney, which I like a lot,” Henin said.

“I’m sorry for the fans who are expecting to see me there. I hope to be there next year.”

“I am sorry that Justine won’t be in Sydney this year. She is a three-time champion of the event and I know she was very much looking forward to playing at the Medibank International Sydney,” said tournament director Craig Watson.

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Wilcard entry Justine Henin (9/2 Australian Open 2010 - Women’s Outright) said she was excited at the prospect of pitting her wits against countrywoman Kim Clijsters in the final of the Brisbane International.

Former world number one Henin, making her return to the WTA Tour after 20 months in retirement, breezed past third seed Ana Ivanovic 6-3 6-2 in just over an hour to set up an all-Belgium showdown against Clijsters (7/2 second favourite Australian Open 2010 - Women’s Outright).

Clijsters, who completed her own astonishing comeback last year by winning the US Open, barely broke sweat in her 6-4 6-2 demolition job over Germany’s Andrea Petkovic in the semi-finals.

Saturday’s final will be their first meeting since the 2006 Wimbledon semi-finals and 27-year-old Henin said she cannot wait to lock horns with her great rival and former Fed Cup team-mate.

“There is so much respect between the two of us so, I know sometimes people would love to hear there have been problems between us but that’s not the case - never in the past,” she said.

“I think I respect the person and the player and it’s the same for her.”

She added: “It’s always a good feeling to play against her because it’s always a tough match and it’s always a good challenge.”

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