Wimbledon – Men's semi-finals:Britain will have to wait at least another year for a home-grown finalist after Andy Roddick overcame Andy Murray in the second semi-final at Wimbledon to set up a showdown with five-time winner Roger Federer on Sunday. The American won 6-4 4-6 7-6 7-6, holding his nerve in two-tie breaks by virtue of his brilliant first serve.
Third seed Murray was bidding to become the first British man since Bunny Austin in 1938 to advance to the final but Roddick had no room for sentiment and landed 75 per cent of his first serves to keep the Scot under constant pressure.
"You always expect your opponents to play well at this stage of the tournament," Murray said afterwards. "I had a few chances in the first tie-break and chances early in the third set and I didn't take them.
"I thought I played well. He served really, really well.
"Hitting at that pace at such a high percentage, sometimes there's not a whole lot you can do."
Roddick added: "I had to play my best tennis to win today. Not many people were giving me much of a chance.
"Throughout my career I've had a lot of shortcomings but trying hard isn't one of them. He had all the pressure on him. It's just a dream.
"He's been a much better player than I have over the last year but I was a little bit better today."
Both men began solidly, with Murray's serve also proving a potent weapon early on, but Roddick - a former world number one and winner of the 2003 US Open - managed to break it in the final game of the first set to take the advantage.
The British number one took a comfort break and came back with a newly-aggressive attitude, two forehand passes and a winner down the line giving him three break points, and he took the first one when Roddick netted a forehand.
The crowd were suddenly engaged and three consecutive aces helped Murray to consolidate the break.
The third seed's first-serve percentage in the opening set was less than 50% but suddenly the aces were flying off his racquet as he easily kept his opponent at bay.
A nervy service game at 4-3, in which the Scot was taken to deuce, hinted at a chance for Roddick but Murray held firm.
And serving for the set he was rock solid, although the first serve again let him down, as he levelled the match.
The third set began in identical fashion to the second as Murray, with the help of a lucky net cord, moved to 0-40 on the Roddick serve.
But this time the American came up with the goods, a superb lunging volley at 30-40 denying his opponent a second break of serve.
Murray's first-serve percentage had again dropped below 50% and he paid the price in a dramatic fourth game. He saved three break points but a fourth proved too much and Roddick seized the advantage.
The Scot was clearly frustrated and he was warned for an audible obscenity, something he disputed strongly with the umpire.
Murray was not finished though, and when Roddick served for the set at 5-3 he pounced, winning the first three points and then taking his second break point.
An ace saw Murray level at 5-5 and two games later came the first tie-break.
The pair traded mini-breaks early on but two aces from the third seed took him to set point.
Roddick saved that one, as did Murray on his own serve, but a wayward forehand gave the American a chance on his serve and he took an epic set 9-7 when the Scot netted.
Murray did not let the disappointment affect him at the start of the fourth set and he created a break point in the eighth game when Roddick volleyed long, but the American saved it in immaculate fashion.
The sixth seed was still serving at 75% of first serves in and he held firm to set up a second tie-break.
There were signs of fatigue in the Murray game, and a weak forehand gave Roddick the first mini-break.
The British number one hung in there with a backhand pass onto the side-line but a backhand that missed by a fraction set up a first match point for Roddick on his serve.
Murray spectacularly saved that with another backhand pass but he could not save a second on his own serve and a backhand into the net left Roddick celebrating a hugely impressive victory.
Federer reached his seventh successive final earlier with a straight sets 7-6(3) 7-5 6-3 win over German Tommy Haas.
The five-time champion edged his 31-year-old rival in a display of sheer brilliance before a mesmerised Centre Court crowd, ending the match with a brilliant slam-dunk smash.
By downing Haas in just over two hours, he became the first man to reach seven successive Wimbledon finals since the abolition of the Challenge Round in 1922.
"Tommy has been playing extremely well since Paris and that is why I'm so happy come through," Federer said afterwards. "I knew he was a danger so I'm very happy with my performance. It's unbelievable to be in another final."
Federer is through to a 20th grand slam final, overtaking the record of Ivan Lendl, and is unlikely to be overawed as he seeks to break Pete Sampras's all-time record of 14 grand slam titles.
"I've had a lot of pressure over the years, it's just another great opportunity to get into the history books," he said. "Going for something that big is quite extraordinary."