MELBOURNE, Jan 24: Rainer Schuettler squeezed every last drop of energy and fight out of Andy Roddick on Friday to reach his first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open with a 7-5 2-6 6-3 6-3 victory.

The 26-year-old employed ruthless tactics to smother Roddick’s hopes and set up a clash with second-seeded American Andre Agassi.

Schuettler becomes only the second German, behind Boris Becker, to reach the men’s final in the event’s 98-year history.

Schuettler knows it will be an uphill struggle against Agassi, who is chasing a fourth Open crown, a record for an overseas player.

For Roddick, though, it was a cruel exit from a tournament in which he had burst through barriers and set new marks for courage and determination.

Before this event, the American had never come back from two sets down to win a match. In Melbourne he managed it twice. On the second occasion he saved a match point and twice came from a set down to beat Younes El Aynaoui 4-6 7-6 4-6 6-4 21-19.

Both semi-finalists were in uncharted grand slam territory, Roddick’s best performances had been two U.S. Open quarter-finals while Schuettler had never been beyond the last 16 at one of the Big Four.

Schuettler’s strategy was clear from the start. He did not target Roddick’s forehand his backhand or his return, he targeted the American’s weary legs.

Schuettler had enjoyed a walkover against the injured Marat Safin in the third round and has spent six hours less on court than his opponent.

Suffering a wrist injury sustained in the match with El Aynaoui, Roddick had not come this far to quit, though. With a strapped-up right wrist he came out all guns blazing.

He snatched a break in the very first game and then held with some fierce serves, wincing after each delivery. But Schuettler had a game plan and it started to pay dividends.

Ghosting groundstrokes into the corners, flighting gentle, sharply-angled shots away from the American and nudging drop shots over the net, the German kept Roddick running and running.

He broke back in the fourth game and another break in the 12th game gave the 31st seed the opening set.

He need not have worried so soon. Roddick blazed into a 4-0 lead with two breaks of serve as Schuettler temporarily lost his way.

The explosive American wrapped up the set 6-2 in just 24 minutes with some tremendous power hitting to level the match.

But his wrist was still troubling him and Norris re-taped it once more.

Despite winning the set, Roddick’s body language was terrible. His shoulders hunched and he practically hobbled around court between points.—Reuters