THE dream of Scot Andy Murray becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936 is still alive after he came through a rollercoaster quarter-final against Fernando Verdasco.

The Dunblane-born star had fans on the edge of their seats last night as he battled through a five-set thriller.

At one point he was staring defeat in the face at two sets down.

As fears were raised the British Number One would join other big names Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in exiting SW19, the Scot rallied and was roared to victory by cheering crowds inside centre court and on Murray Mound.

The 26-year-old was visibly drained at the end of the marathon match but punched the air in delight after he fought back to seal his toughest win of the tournament so far.

Speaking after the victory, he paid tribute to the atmosphere created by the crowd, which included former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, his mother Judy and girlfriend Kim Sears.

He said: "There's been a lot of matches where I've been behind and managed to turn it round.

"I don't know if it is the most emotional match, but it was an unbelievable atmosphere and great to get through."

Murray remains on course to become the first British player to lift the men's Wimbledon trophy since Fred Perry.

The Prime Minister had offered his encouragement in a message which sparked fear among supporters, who suggested the so-called "curse of Cameron" could scupper the Scot's chances.

David Cameron secured the tag after attending several events at the London Olympics during which British stars were defeated.

However, Murray, who previously insisted he was not superstitious, was not to be defeated and drew a rousing ovation as he left.

A roar echoed across Murray Mound, where thousands of people had packed the steep bank to watch the match.

Security guards battled to keep walkways clear as thousands of fans squeezed into the small area. Many clutched Union flags and cheered regularly. The crowd rose to its feet as Murray took the match.

Mandy Stapleton, 51, from west London, said: "We were worried he was going to lose but he did it."

Ms Sears thanked the crowds on Murray Mound for their support.She said: "It sounds like it was a great atmosphere out there, certainly better than it was at the beginning on Centre Court."

Not everyone at Wimbledon was delighted by Murray's win though.

Spaniard Carlos Lopez, 21, who works in London as a hospital scrub nurse, said: "It's disappointing. Verdasco was playing great.

"But in the end he wasn't strong enough mentally. It was a great game, and a great atmosphere. I'm from Madrid, same as Verdasco, so obviously I wanted him to win, but it didn't happen."

Murray's semi-final tie will be against Poland's Jerzy Janowicz tomorrow.