Andy Murray is in the final at Wimbledon.

This is news, in the queen’s country. Mainly because Liz the Deuce is 86 and seems to have been alive for ever … but even she was only a girl of 11 when Britain last put a man in the Wimby final, that being the wonderfully named Henry Wilfred “Bunny” Austin in 1938.

Bunny lost to Don Budge, an American, and from that day until today, no British subject reached the gentlemen’s Wimbledon final. Which is mind-boggling, considering the Brits did so much to popularize the sport.

So, what happens to Our Andy in the final?

Well, first, the stakes. As we noted the other day, the Brits also have failed to produce a Grand Slam winner, on the men’s side, since 1936.

Since 1936.

So, yes, the pressure, more in the form of hope than expectations, will be enormous, on Our Andy.

A year ago, I posted an item on this blog about watching my British co-workers at The National … as they watched Andy lose to Rafael Nadal in the 2011 semifinals. It was equally sad and funny and more than a little pathetic. To have all your hopes riding on one neurotic guy.

I noted the curious reality of Murray and his ethnicity. When he is riding high, he is British. When he has his serve broken or drops a set, he suddenly becomes thoroughly Scottish. It’s a hoot to watch.

Andy has a decent chance this year. Things have been breaking for him.

The biggest break was when Nadal lost to a random Czech dude (Lujas Rosol) in the second round. That left Murray as the highest seed (4) in his half of the bracket, and led to him getting Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semis, and JayDub showed up vaguely hurt and fairly seriously off his game, and Murray pretty much mowed him down in four sets.

The round before, Murray had faced David Ferrer, a clay-court specialist who had somehow fought his way into the quarters. Murray overpowered the plucky little guy, and he almost certainly would have had more trouble with Juan Martin del Potro, the big Argentine who was unable to withstand Ferrer’s industry and hustle.

So.

Now Our Andy gets Roger Federer in the final. This could be construed as a break, too. Roger is 30 and hasn’t won a Grand Slam event in 2.5 years (Australia, 2010).

But, Federer was nearly flawless in dispatching Novak Djokovic in the other semi (which someday might be regarded as “the real” final). If Rog shows up with the game he rolled out against Djokovic, which was sublime, Murray is toast.

But again, how often does a guy show up simply never missing, as Federer never missed against Djokovic? Can he roll out the same game on Sunday? Odds are, probably not.

This may come down to Murray’s mental makeup. Federer is a known quality, when it comes to mental strength. And that quality is of the highest order.

Can Our Andy match that? Maybe if he wins the first set. But if he does not?

Then Andy will lose, and the Brits will still be looking at Fred Perry as their last Grand Slam winner, in 1936, and wondering when Murray (or any other contender Brit) is going to get the sort of breaks through the bracket that Murray did at this Wimbledon.

Might be another 76 years.