Andy Murray is confident he will have no problem stepping up his performance level for tomorrow's semi- final against Roger Federer, despite his low-key passage to the last four.

The Scot has barely broken sweat in advancing to his fourth successive Melbourne semi-final, although he turned in a much- improved showing against big- hitting Jeremy Chardy yesterday.

He accepts, though, that he will need to play better against the 17-time major winner, who came through a trying five-setter against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, with a place in Sunday's final at stake.

He said: "I think you have to trust yourself that when you are tested you're going to play better tennis.

"You never know for sure but in the build-up to the tournament I played very well. I haven't lost a set here yet so maybe I am expecting to play too well.

"But I've done a good job so far in this tournament. I can't be disappointed with where my game's at and I hope in the next round I play better again."

Having come through a flat, lifeless contest again a fatigued Gilles Simon on Monday, the encounter with Chardy was, at least, competitive.

But US Open champion Murray was never seriously threatened by the world No.36 and came through 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in one hour 51 minutes.

He capitalised on Chardy's early nerves – the Frenchman was making his first appearance in the last eight of a major – to book his spot against the Swiss.

"I thought I started the match pretty well," said Murray, who is bidding to become the first man in the Open era to follow up his first Grand Slam triumph by winning the next major.

"He's a tough guy to play against because of the nature of his game and his style. He goes for a lot of shots and he can play a couple of games where he misses and then three, four games when he's hot and makes very few errors.

"But I thought I did a pretty good job throughout the match. There were a couple of games I could have done a bit better in, but for the most part it was good."

Chardy was blunt in his assessment. He said: "I don't think I played too badly, I played a good match but he was too good for me. I tried many things but there was no chance for me."