Federer does enough

The world number one struggled with his first serve throughout the match and gave up an astonishing 17 break points, but Davydenko could only convert with three - one in each set - and each time he was pegged back by Federer who was able to up his game on the key points.

"Anything could have happened in this match," Federer said with a sigh of relief after snatching victory.

"It was tight until the end. I could have lost in three sets but I won. He's an excellent player and that was a good test for me before the final."

Davydenko made a cracking start to the match by playing some aggressive and purposefully tennis and had an incredible 11 break points during Federer's first three service games.

Crucially though he only converted one of them, as Federer, who it is rumoured made a whistle stop return to Switzerland yesterday, finally began to find his way into the match.

Federer broke back to level at 4-4, and then broke again to 15 to take the set 7-5 as Davydenko's body language started to reflect that of a beaten man.

However, in the second set, Davydenko again started to feel his way back into things as he got a couple of holds under his belt.

Then, at 4-4, he managed to crack the erratic Federer serve once again, but as soon as he got himself in front he was pegged back once more, as Federer just seemed to grow in stature when the set came on the line.

The set would eventually end in a tie-break, which Federer always controlled, although it wasn't until his third set point that he took it 7-5.

Once more though, Federer took his foot off the gas in the third set, and an early break to love looked to have set Davydenko up for the set.

He found himself 5-2 in front in the set, but once more, he couldn't stumble over the line, with the ninth game of the set proving to be a particular heart-breaker.

There, Davydenko showed tremendous guts to fight off five break points from Federer, but couldn't convert with two set points of his own, and on break point number six his serve was finally cracked.

He managed to compose himself to take the set to a tie -break, but just like in the 2006 Australian Open quarter-final, the Russian would end up being on the wrong end of two tie-break defeats to Federer.

He lost the crucial breaker 9-7, after having saved one match on 6-5 before failing to convert with a third set point of his own against the Federer serve.

However, it was a match of missed opportunities for the Russian, and Federer moves into the final, but another hot-and-cold performance like this from the Swiss in the final may not be enough to see him take the only Grand Slam title that has thus far eluded him.

Seán Fay