The men’s singles final of the 2010 Australian Open doesn’t figure to be boring, but an analysis of the titanic tilt involving top-seeded Roger Federer and fifth-seeded Andy Murray isn’t going to win many points for originality.

No, it’s hard to be overly creative in assessing the second Major final to pair the world No. 1 with Britain’s best hope for a defining tennis championship. When Federer and Murray lock horns on Sunday at Rod Laver Arena, their ballyhooed battle will come down to the two most elemental shots in tennis: the serve and the return.

For Federer, the first serve will be hugely important in the Swiss superstar’s twenty-second Major final. Fed’s second-serve kicker is solid, and it will win him some points, but it’s really on the first ball that the 15-time Major champion must make his move.

Federer depends on a steady stream of cheap points during matches. A copious amount of service points with no more than three strokes enables Federer to feel comfortable on the court and pick his spots as a returner. If the first serve is flowing on a consistent basis, Federer should be able to worm his way out of tight spots and steer the match in his direction.

With all that having been said, the biggest reason why Federer’s first serve will be so important on Sunday is that if he doesn’t convert a high percentage of first balls, Murray will make him pay. The Scotsman, seeking his first Major singles title, owns what is felt by many to be the best return of serve in men’s tennis, with Nikolay Davydenko being a close second.

Murray eats up second serves, and so if Federer has to hit a lot of second balls, he’ll lose a fair share of service points. Murray can then dictate the flow of the match and maintain a steady advantage.

Speaking of Murray’s ability to keep the upper hand, that will happen only if Britain’s best manages to beef up his second serve.

One of the big knocks on Murray’s otherwise resplendent set of skills is a cream-puff second serve bereft of bite or kick. Murray’s vulnerability on second-serve points – which really separate elite pros from also-rans in this sport – kept him from reaching the final round of every Major in 2009.

As he attempts to become the first British subject since Fred Perry (in 1936) to win a Big Four championship, Murray will have to find a second-serve kicker that can bail him out of jail.

If Murray lacks an above-average second serve, Federer will be able to tee off and win points quickly, which will deny Murray the ability to construct extended rallies and engage the Swiss in backhand-to-backhand exchanges that will certainly favor the Scot.

A sure way to assess this match is to identify quick points and distinguish them from prolonged points. The more quick points in this match, the better for Fed. The more extended rallies – particularly on the backhand wing – the better it will be for Murray.

See – that analysis was pretty boring. Yet, it’s hard to look at this blockbuster matchup in a decidedly different way. The fictional character James Bond existed “At Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” On a significant Sunday in Melbourne, Australia, Andy Murray will need to display first-rate service if he is to topple Roger Federer and make tennis history in the country James Bond called home.

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