Graphic: How Murray can beat Roddick | Graphic: SW19 in 60 seconds

Andy Murray has Wimbledon in his thrall, the men’s final in his sights and the world No 1 ranking before the end of the summer is a distinct possibility for the 22-year-old from Dunblane.

Be prepared for a weekend that could reshape the sport in Britain as never before.

Murray plays Andy Roddick, the No 6 seed and twice the runner-up at Wimbledon, in today’s second semi-final, with Larry Stefanki, the American’s coach, revving up the significance by saying: “They both want it bad.”

Before they cross swords, Roger Federer, in his 21st consecutive grand-slam semi-final and aiming to reach a record seventh successive final on the famed plot, takes on Tommy Haas, of Germany, a repeat of their fourth-round meeting at the French Open five weeks ago that the Swiss won from two sets and a break down.

The matches are fascinatingly poised. The onus, though, is on Murray, who knows that if he achieves every player’s ultimate dream, he will not only become the first British men’s champion since 1936, but also move above Federer in the rankings and be within five points — a single victory on the ATP Tour — of Rafael Nadal. The defending champion missed the tournament with tendinitis in both kneecaps and has pencilled in a return at the Montreal Masters next month.

Nadal became Wimbledon champion for the first time and knocked Federer from his No 1 perch within the space of a month last year. Lightning could strike twice. Initially, Murray has to overcome Roddick, as he has done six times in eight meetings. Tim Henman, his predecessor as domestic No 1, played four Wimbledon semi-finals from 1998 to 2002 but could not cross the Rubicon.

Stefanki, who coached Henman for a couple of years after his 2001 semi-final defeat and was hired by Roddick seven months ago, senses that Murray is handling the burdens of expectation remarkably well. “Andy has that alligator skin — he’s very intelligent and single-minded and I like him very much because he’s a free thinker,” Stefanki said. “He handles this better than Tim did.

“But he hasn’t played a real big server or a grass-court player yet. is not going to be satisfied until he wins another major. He’s won one, [the US Open in 2003], he’s won Davis Cup, he’s been the No 1 player, and Murray hasn’t done that yet.

Preparing for his second grand-slam semi-final, Murray appears not to have a care in the world. “For me it is not about what Tim did here,” he said yesterday. “I am trying to do something I’ve never done before. It is going to be a tough match, but making the final of a grand slam, whether it is Wimbledon or any of the other ones, is a great achievement.

“A lot of it will come down to how I serve and he returns. I don’t want him to give him any opportunities to go a break up because that’s when he plays his best tennis, because he can really go for his serve. Likewise he is going to have to return well to break me because I have been serving well.”