Pat Rafter stepped into the spotlight. He sang, he danced, he knew all his lines and in the end he took the curtain call. Quite a feat when you are up against Andre Agassi in a Wimbledon semi-final.

Having been told that there are a finite number of serves left in his right shoulder, on which he had surgery last year, the wonderfully athletic Rafter took five sets to tie up Agassi. He now faces Pete Sampras in the final, a match-up which in the past has generated no small degree of animosity.

Hopeful of emulating Pat Cash, the last Australian to win the title, in 1987, Rafter yesterday denied there was any bad feeling lingering between himself and Sampras following a line-call dispute at match point in a tour event two years ago in Cincinnati.

It is the first time Rafter, the twice US Open champion, has made it to the Wimbledon final, having lost in last year's semi-final to Agassi in three sets. But last year Rafter had a much tougher run, beating Todd Martin and former champion Boris Becker before tumbling out.

This year Agassi was the first seeded player he met, with the win taking his winning streak to 11 matches in succession. Only Gustavo Kuerten with 15, Lleyton Hewitt with 13 and Marat Safin with 12 wins have had a better run.

While Agassi intermittently dazzled with his speed and reaction, he occasionally turned up some loose games. Rafter thanked him by taking full advantage. Covering the net well and suffocating the usually precise passing shots of the American, Rafter always squeezed. With his serve also improving as the game advanced, Agassi looked increasingly under pressure.

"It's been a long road back. I think that's the most satisfying thing about it. Now I'm in the final. It has probably been a big shock," said Rafter. "He (Sampras) has a presence about him that's tough. He's been here many times. Hopefully I can serve like I did in the fifth set today. That's what I'm going to need."

Agassi, although dejected, did not see the defeat as an indication that at 30 his powers are diminishing. Rather he appears to be more driven than ever. "I have to work hard now," he said. "Because it's not good enough if you lose. You've got to do something else, you've got to get better. I have to do something else."

Rafter won the first tight set on a tiebreak, Agassi punching a forehand long on set point. Coming back in the second set the players exchanged breaks before Agassi's remarkable backhand return on Rafter's second serve brought the two players level.

Rafter then earned two break points at 65 to again go ahead before Agassi controlled the fourth set to take the match to five. That was a mistake as Rafter discovered his serving rhythm. Just one break was enough for Rafter's 4-2 advantage and he then served out to love for the match.

Sampras, characteristically, used surgery to take apart qualifier Vladmir Voltchov in three sets. Voltchov, who had washed his borrowed shirt and shorts for the meeting, was by no means overwhelmed, simply outplayed by the master.

Despite the physiotherapist being called to apply his expertise to the champion's problematic tendon, there were few chances for the Belarussian. After he capitulated in the first set on a tie-break with a simple backhand volley into the net serving at 4-5, the match was lost.

A second set 6-2 and third 6-4 for a quick end was just what Sampras was seeking. Afterwards he said that he was going to practise before meeting Rafter; perhaps his biggest test since he was injured in the second round.

"It wasn't an easy match," said Sampras of yesterday's challenge. I was really the heavy favourite. I hadn't seen him play much before. Obviously the first set was a big part of the match. It's been a struggle. I've worked hard to get here. With no practice on your days off and coming in cold it's been difficult."

Sampras also denied that time was against him if he lost Sunday's potentially historic final. He cited the case of Jimmy Connors, who won a US Open title when he was 33. Sampras, a 28-year-old, can in any case target the US Open and Australian Open to beat his own and Roy Emerson's all-time Grand Slam record of 12 titles.