Centre Court classic between Andy Murray and Roger Federer is long overdue

The dynamic has never been dull. From the early stages there was an intrigue about this match-up as the upstart 18-year-old Murray went down narrowly to Federer in the final of the 2005 Thailand Open in Bangkok, then sampled a taste of revenge in Cincinnati 12 months later. The greatest player who ever lived or not, the Scot raced away to a 6-2 lead in the personal match-up.

After two Grand Slams finals fell in Federer's favour, the mood music changed again in the summer of 2012. That was when a tearful Murray regathered himself a matter of weeks after the disappointment of losing the Wimbledon final to overwhelm Federer at the Olympics.

The Scot has won two Grand Slams since then, and the Swiss none, but strangely the reverse applies when you consider their fortunes on a match court. The World No 3 hasn't beaten the Swiss since his back surgery at the end of 2013, and as if that 6-0, 6-1 victory for Federer at the 02 in London wasn't embarrassing enough, it also allowed Federer to reclaim the ascendancy in the personal head-to-head at 12-11, for the first time since that encounter in Bangkok a decade ago.

Fascinating stuff, particularly when you consider that only once in their 23 previous tour meetings on tour - Murray's win in the 2013 Australian Open semi-finals, which was secured 6-2 in the final set - has one of their matches gone the distance.

Brad Gilbert, now a pundit with US broadcasters ESPN, is a seasoned observer of the interplay of these two men, not least because he was in the Murray camp for that victory in Cincinnati. He recalls telling the young Scot back then to avoid comparing himself overly much with the man on the other side of the net, and stopping him in the corridor afterwards to warn him against over celebrating.

"They have played 23 times and certainly thinking back, in the last six or seven years, since the big four have been together, I don't think they have had any great signature match," said Gilbert. "Andy and Djokovic have had some great matches but not Andy and Roger. There hasn't really been a big five setter, a 7-6 in the third, or something you can remember. Perhaps they are overdue that."

These two actually first met over a net in a Davis Cup doubles rubber in Geneva in 2005, Murray and Greg Rusedski going down in four sets to Federer and Yves Allegro, but the young Scot was disappointed he didn't get the chance to take him on in the singles. One Scot who did was Alan Mackin, but he was on the wrong end of a 6-0, 6-0, 6-2 drubbing.

"A lot of times when you are young and you play these players of great stature you get overwhelmed and feel like you have to do too much," said Gilbert of that first Murray win in Cincinnati. "When you feel like you need to tick all the boxes, you are not going to.

"As for celebrating, it was a second round match," he added. "For me, you have to get ready for the third round, this is what you are going to be doing for the next ten years. I see so many young kids going into the press room and saying things, but my words of wisdom to him were to just act like you belong."

If Federer was first to alter his strategy, working on his volley and keeping points shorter, now the Scot is doing likewise. "The one thing that is different is that Andy is playing much more offensive tennis and less defence," said Gilbert.

Another difference maker in such a delicate equilibrium is the affections of the Centre Court crowd. "I was surprised in 2012 how even the crowd was, or maybe even slightly towards Roger," said Gilbert. "And at the 02 I felt like it was even more for Roger. The Olympics was a completely different crowd and that helped Andy a lot."

There is a tendency to question whether the Swiss could last five sets but Gilbert feels Federer is fresh and relatively untested. "Roger has had a very easy draw to the semi-finals - he couldn't have asked for better," said Gilbert. "The eye test tells me Andy is a slight favourite just based on what he's done in the last four months but he's still got to go out and execute.

"Roger is as fit as a fiddle for his age and could play 15 sets," he added. "He's very efficient with what he is doing and has expanded no energy on his run to the semi-finals. He's dropped serve once so he's never really been up against it so fitness-wise he'll be fine."

While Murray admits he is in the end phase of his career, there is speculation that this will be the Swiss man's last visit to SW19. Today will be his 1,269th tour match, but he said yesterday that just by playing Wimbledon alone he would be happy with the wins and experiences he has accumulated.

Don't be fooled. The Swiss isn't sated yet. His name is Roger Federer and he is addicted to winning Grand Slams. The greatest player of all time craves another fix.