Roddick ends Swede's dream

Andy Roddick overcame a tigerish display from Swedish outsider Thomas Johansson to set up a repeat of last year’s men’s singles final with Roger Federer.

The 22-year-old American earned a predictable rematch with the defending champion but he was forced to dig deep to see off the 30-year-old Johansson in a stamina-sapping second semi-final which was carried over from yesterday.

While Federer enjoyed a day with his feet up, Roddick needed a minute under three hours to gain a 6-7 6-2 7-6 7-6 victory which took him into his third Grand Slam final.

The match, like the weather, promised little at first but blossomed wonderfully and the tense duel provided top-class entertainment for the Centre Court crowd awaiting the start of the women’s final.

Roddick, the second seed, played the more cautious tennis, earning 61 of his points through unreturned serves and did not produce a single double fault.

Johansson, on the other hand, was more ambitious and came up with 53 winners as well as 37 unforced errors.

However, but for a 10-minute spell early in the second half in which Johansson dropped his serve twice in a row to trail 4-0, there was precious little to choose between the men.

Trailing 5-6 when play resumed at eight minutes past noon, Johansson was faced with having to hold serve simply to keep the first set alive, but he threatened an upset by winning the tie break 8-6 after Roddick had squandered two set points.

Johansson reacted to his unexpected success by taking a toilet break which appeared to take away his momentum. He dropped his serve for the first time in the match and Roddick consolidated to lead 2-0.

It got even better for the American when Johansson put a half-volley into the net before Roddick – encouraged by his opponent’s increasing error rate – made a successful, if rare, venture from the baseline to win a 12-stroke rally and achieve a second break.

A love service game enabled Roddick to race into a 4-0 lead before Johansson briefly stopped the rot but the damage was done as the world number four served out to take the second set 6-2 in just 25 minutes and level the match.

Johansson made a better start to the third set, which was another close-fought affair as both players began to find their rhythm.

He demonstrated his athleticism in the fourth game, in which Roddick was forced to save two break points to keep on level terms, but needed a brilliant two-handed backhand pass to hold serve in a marathon fifth game.

The first break came in the 11th game when Johansson hit a forehand long but the American could not capitalise, dropping his serve for the first time in the match as the set went into a tie-break.

There were six mini-breaks before Roddick saved the first of three set points and Johansson also saved two before the American came up with a 133mph ace to clinch it 12-10.

The fourth set was another cat-and-mouse affair as both men struggled to break their opponent’s serve.

Roddick got to within two points of the match in the 10th game but Johansson, showing no sign of nerves, clung on to force another tie-break.

The breaker went with serve until Roddick gained the luckiest of net cords to give him match point and it was all over when an unfortunate Johansson hit the next serve into the net.