Hewitt looked back to his very best

The 2001 champion was at his tenacious best as he beat the 22-year-old Swede 6-4 7-5 6-3 at Flushing Meadows.

Hewitt made only 14 unforced errors in the entire match and faced only one break point, which he saved.

Johansson, who beat defending champion Andy Roddick in the semis, produced flashes of brilliances but was never allowed to find his best form.

Despite Johansson firing 17 aces during the contest, taking his tournament tally to 123, Hewitt ruthlessly pounced on the slightest opening and broke once in each set.

And Hewitt goes into Sunday's final looking back to his best form. He has not lost a set so far in the tournament and has only once been taken to a tiebreak.

I've been playing well all through the hardcourt season and there's just one match to go now Lleyton Hewitt

He made hardly any unforced errors, hit even Johansson's best shots back with interest and manoeuvred his tall opponent around the court cleverly.

But Hewitt admitted he had had to put aside family issues.

The Swede has been going out with Hewitt's sister Jaslyn for some time and has practised with Hewitt when visiting the family home in Adelaide.

But Hewitt said: "It was a bit awkward for both of us but we just had to put our professional hats on.

"I've been playing well all through the hardcourt season and there's just one match to go now."

And Johansson admitted that a slight adjustment by Hewitt had helped him earn victory.

"He played the way I thought he would play. He just gets a lot of balls back. I'm used to that when I've been practising with him," said the Swede.

"Today he got them back very low so it was tough for me to hit winners from that position. That is the reason he won.

And Johansson added: "If he keeps playing like this it will be tough for whoever he plays."