Schuettler sets up dream final with Agassi
The German 31st seed proved too strong for weary ninth seed Andy Roddick, winning 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in 2hr 19min.
“Right now, I’m speechless, it’s unbelievable,” said 26-year-old Schuettler moments after clinching match point.
“It was a dream to have a chance to play in the final and sometimes you have the chance to realise the dream. I am looking forward to playing Andre in the final,” he said.
“It’s great to be in the final and I will give my best and see what happens.” Roddick looked shattered in the fourth set and was looked to be feeling the effects of the marathon quarter-final with Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui, which went to a record 21-19 in the fifth set in the early hours of Thursday.
Schuettler is the first German to reach a Grand Slam final since Michael Stich at the 1996 French Open, the last German winner was Boris Becker at the Australian Open in the same year.
Schuettler’s appearance against second seed Agassi in Sunday’s final prevented what would have been an all-American line-up for both the men's and women's singles finals.
Roddick suffered a right wrist injury during his quarter-final with El Aynaoui and was clearly bothered by it against Schuettler.
“I knew going out there that it (wrist) was sore,” Roddick said. “But I warmed up and the pain was tolerable so I thought as long as it stayed like that I could grin and bear it, get through it.
“But it didn’t get better as the match went on. I thought maybe if the adrenalin started pumping, it’s a very strong thing. But it just didn’t happen.”
Serena and Venus Williams, who contest the women’s singles final today, ensured a sweep of the women’s silverware after they won their sixth Grand Slam doubles crown earlier Friday.
The Williams sisters defeated Spain’s Virginia Ruano Pascual and Argentina’s Paola Suarez 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The American duo, who had been controversially chosen as top seeds for the tournament ahead of Ruano Pascual and Suarez, came back after trailing 3-1 in the final set to earn their sixth Grand Slam doubles crown.
World number one Serena said she had summoned up the same sort of charge that had saved her in the singles semi-finals on Thursday, when she came back from 5-1 down to beat Kim Clijsters.
“I just said ‘Come on Venus, let’s just fight here’,” said Williams after the final, which was played under cover on the Rod Laver Arena after tournament organisers invoked their extreme heat rules.
The Williams’ lack of doubles experience nearly cost the duo against Ruano Pascual and Suarez, last year’s French Open and US Open winners and currently the world’s top-ranked combination.
In the first set the Williams sisters found themselves moved around the court by their smaller opponents, who mixed a series of clever lobs and volleys to catch them out of position.
Yet with Serena Williams' gradually managing to introduce accuracy to her thumping forehand, the American pair came back into the match.
A ruthless smash from Serena levelled at 3-3 and the Williams sisters broke again before serving out for the set.
In the final set Suarez and Ruano Pascual regained momentum with an early break. They held and moved to 3-1 but then could only watch as the Williams sisters cranked up the pace to score two more breaks with a flurry of winners. Saturday’s final between the Williams’ is also likely to be played under cover if forecast temperatures of 42ºC materialise, forcing organisers to invoke their ‘extreme heat’ rule.
Australian Open officials lowered the threshold for halting play this year from 38ºC to 35ºC following concerns over player safety.
It followed last year’s women's final between Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis, which was played in 40ºC.
Elsewhere Friday, Martina Navratilova put herself on course to become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title after winning through to the final of the mixed doubles with India’s Leander Paes.
The 46-year-old legend and Paes downed fifth seeds Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-1 in the semi-finals.
Navratilova and Paes now play Australia's Todd Woodbridge and Greece’s Eleni Daniilidou tomorrow, with Navratilova seeking to win her 390th career title.
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