Wimbledon: Murray Mania Sweeps Britain

Murray mania is sweeping the nation as bookmakers offer the best odds yet for the Scot to win Wimbledon and tickets to the men's final sell for thousands of pounds.

Andy Murray has now equalled much-loved Tim Henman's tally of four semi-finals.

With Rafael Nadal - the man who has knocked Murray out of the semis in the past two years - out of the contest, Murray has a great chance of reaching the final.

Tickets for the semi-final have been changed hands for up to £4,500, with an average of £3,500.

Online ticket marketplace Viagogo said at one point tickets for Sunday's Grand Slam final were being offered for up to £15,000 each, although prices are fluctuating constantly.

Viagogo said there was a 20% increase in searches on the site for finals tickets after Murray booked himself a place in the semi-finals, and predicted that prices could get as high as £45,000.

William Hill has put the Scot at 4/9 to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga  to make it into the final.

But the bookmaker also put him at 10/11 to finish the tournament as runner-up.

If the British number one does beat Tsonga, he will become the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin made it 74 years ago.

The 25-year-old Scot said: "When you start each tournament, you want to try and win. Obviously, now that I'm in it, I'm not thinking, 'Great, I'm in the semi-finals.'

"You want to try and go further. But I know how hard it is.

"Everyone kept telling me I had such a hard draw and how tough it was going to be to get through. I managed to do that. I've beaten some very good players. It's been a good tournament so far.

"But I want it to continue. I'd be disappointed if I lost before the final in any tournament, but I don't just expect to get there. It's a very difficult thing to do. You need to make sure you perform properly."

This is Murray's seventh Wimbledon - he remains the nation's best hope of a British champion for the first time in 76 years, since Fred Perry lifted the trophy.