Andy Roddick survived a fierce Thomas Johansson onslaught to reach the Wimbledon final with a 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 7-6 victory Saturday.
The American second seed set up a rematch with world number one and champion Roger Federer by rebounding from a set down to win the rain-interrupted semi-final after nearly three hours of exhilarating tennis.
Wimbledon 2005: Complete coverage
Following his heroics Saturday, Roddick has less than 24 hours think up a plan to stop Federer from becoming only the third player in the professional era to win a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles.
Roddick benefited from an outrageous netcord in the fourth set tiebreak to bring up match point, and sunk to his knees in delight as he finally booked his place in the final with a thunderbolt delivery.
"I definitely got very lucky in that fourth set tiebreak," said Roddick as he walked off court covered in dirt.
"I'm ecstatic to play Roger again and will be ready to go tomorrow no matter what.
"I felt like I had to give him my all, and it's only so many times you contest a Wimbledon semi-final so a little dirt is okay."
The 22-year-old Roddick had dropped only four points on serve to lead 6-5 overnight when the threat of showers halted play on Center Court Friday afternoon.
Johansson, bidding to become the first Swedish finalist since Stefan Edberg won the title in 1990, showed his resilience in the tiebreak.
The American stormed ahead 4-1 and also held two set points, but Johansson kept generating the winners and sneaked into a 7-6 lead with a sizzling passing shot winner that skimmed past Roddick's outstretched racket.
The 30-year-old, the 2002 Australian Open champion, sealed it 8-6 as Roddick floated a forehand long.
Roddick, beaten only by Federer on grass over the past two years, remained undaunted.
He took a 4-0 lead in the second as his 12th seeded opponent inexplicably lost the intensity he had shown in the first set.
The owner of the world's fastest delivery cranked up the power and dropped only two points on serve in the entire set before leveling the match thanks to a Johansson backhand error.
JOHANSSON STANDS FIRM
But if Roddick thought he simply had to go through the motions to book his place in Sunday's final, Johansson had other ideas.
The oldest man left in the singles draw came alive in an action-packed third set.
Roddick traded blows from the baseline, threw himself around the court, lunged after the accelerating ball and hit athletic volleys but Johansson stood firm.
Even when the American finally gained the breakthrough in the 11th game after Johansson had tipped a running forehand long on break point, his relief was short-lived.
As Roddick attempted to serve out for the set, Johansson conjured up a spectacular crosscourt winner past a diving Roddick to break the second seed for the first time in the match.
The pair headed into a second tiebreak and it turned into a titanic battle as they earned and lost a string of mini breaks.
After saving three set points against him, Roddick struck lucky on his own third attempt by producing an unreturnable delivery to clinch the tiebreak 12-10.
Johansson refused to cave in and dragged Roddick into another tiebreak and the duo remained deadlocked until 5-5 before the match turned on a cruel blow for the Swede.
Roddick's blasted ball hit the top of the net before trickling over it, leaving his opponent stranded at the back of the court.
The American's acknowledgement of his luck looked more like a dismissal of his opponent and he duly snatched victory with another huge serve.
