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LONDON : Andy Roddick ended Andy Murray's dream of becoming the first British men's Wimbledon champion since 1936 on Friday with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5) semi-final victory.
The American sixth seed will tackle five-time champion Roger Federer in Sunday's title match in a repeat of the 2004 and 2005 finals both of which he lost to the great Swiss.
Federer had earlier defeated German 31-year-old Tommy Haas 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 6-3 to reach a seventh straight Wimbledon final and a record 20th Grand Slam title match.
World number two Federer will be going for a record 15th Grand Slam title which will take him past Pete Sampras's mark of 14 which he equalled with his first French Open title last month.
Roddick, the 2003 US Open winner, will be playing in his first major final since 2006.
"I had to play my best tennis today. I can't say enough good things about Andy's game but I can play some tennis sometimes," said Roddick.
"Not many people gave me a chance but I knew if I stayed the course I had a shot."
Roddick, who had lost to Murray in straight sets in the third round here in 2006, showed there is more to his game than a sledgehammer serve and power-packed forehands by cleverly mixing up his game in the opening set.
Neither player faced a break point until the 10th game when the American went to set point courtesy of a delicate drop shot before clinching the opener when Murray buried a running forehand into the net after an exhausting rally.
But the 22-year-old third seed quickly threw off the shackles by breaking Roddick to love in the opening game of the second set which proved the key to eventually levelling the semi-final in the 10th game.
Roddick saved three break points in the opening game of the third set, and capitalised on his escape by breaking to lead 3-1.
Murray, who came into the match with a 6-2 record over Roddick, slipped to 4-1 down, was hit with a code violation for swearing before the tension crept into the American, who blew an opportunity to serve for the set at 5-3.
The Scot levelled at 5-5 before three successive aces in the tiebreak gave him a set point which Roddick saved.
In a gripping set, Murray then saved a set point with his 22nd ace of the tie but Roddick survived the barrage to carve out another set point which he converted when his opponent netted a forehand.
Roddick fought off a break point in the eighth game of the fourth set and captured victory on second match point in the tiebreak when Murray netted an approach.
- AFP /ls
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