Semi-final result:

A RODDICK (US) bt M Youzhny (Rus)

6-7 (5-7) 6-0 7-6 (7-3) 6-3

By Piers Newbery

Fourth set:

Roddick 6-3 Youzhny
If there's one thing Roddick can do, it's serve under pressure. He opens with an ace and quickly gets to 40-0. Youzhny then decides to play cheerleader to the crowd, before hitting two amazing winners on his way back to deuce - incredible. Roddick responds with an ace and converts his fourth match point with a volley.

It's Roddick v Federer in the final that everybody, at least in New York, was hoping to see.

Roddick 5-3 Youzhny
Three successive unforced errors from Youzhny give Roddick triple break point - and virtually match point. He takes the first when Youzhny nets a forehand and Roddick, and the crowd, go wild.

Roddick 4-3 Youzhny
Youzhny wins the first point with a blistering cross-court backhand and has a great chance to go 0-30 when he retrieves a Roddick smash, but the attempted forehand pass is a shocker. At 30-30, Youzhny suffers with a net cord when a pass sits up off the net allowing Roddick to swat it away.

At deuce, Roddick hammers down a winning serve and says, very loudly, "too big". True, but not very sporting. He then whacks another ace and trots off to his chair, only for Youzhny to challenge it - unsuccessfully. Roddick manages to look both smug and annoyed.

Roddick 3-3 Youzhny
Youzhny performs some heroics in scurrying around miles behind the baseline retirieving Roddick forehands - it can't be much fun. Roddick gets to 15-30 but again the Russian hangs on. Incredibly frustrating for Roddick.

Roddick 3-2 Youzhny
Roddick responds with a love game of his own, which includes one lunging volley that had a hint of desperation about it.

Roddick 2-2 Youzhny
Youzhny gets a new lease of life with a love-service game.

Roddick 2-1 Youzhny
Roddick suffers the embarrassment of sending a smash flying off the frame and possibly into downtown Manhattan, although it was off a good lob from Youzhny. The American hits a similarly poor backhand that slams into the backboard before bouncing, but he is always ahead in the game and looks solid.

Roddick 1-1 Youzhny
A tired-looking Youzhny plays an ill-advised drop shot at deuce and it clips the net. On break point, the Russian gets another net cord but this time it goes for him - a huge moment.

Youzhny saves a second break point with a good serve and thumping forehand. Roddick loses the game and looks crestfallen because, despite being in charge, he just cannot fashion a break of serve.

Youzhny walks over and kisses the net. Not sure the locals see the joke.

Roddick 1-0 Youzhny
Roddick races through another service game and Youzhny is nowhere near him on return at the moment.

Third set:

Roddick 7-6 (7-3) Youzhny
Not surprisingly, both players start off in edgy fashion and they change round at 3-3. Roddick then blasts an ace before the key point arrives.

Roddick scrambles desperately to slice a forehand into the centre of the court but Youzhny misreads the bounce and blows a half-volley attempt. He then puts a backhand wide and Roddick rounds it off with an ace, and a scream of delight.

Roddick 6-6 Youzhny
Roddick holds easily and it's crunch time now in the tie-break.

Roddick 5-6 Youzhny
Roddick keeps getting glimpses of a break and again gets to 15-30 but cannot convert, and we look to be entering the key moments of the match as the third set reaches a climax.

Roddick 5-5 Youzhny
Strangely, the crowd choose to start a lengthy Mexican Wave just as their man is getting ready to serve. Roddick looks less than pleased but stays focused, finding an ace and an excellent smash on his way to levelling the score.

Roddick 4-5 Youzhny
The crowd strike up a chant of "Let's go Andy!" At 30-30 their man has a great chance but he nets a backhand and Youzhny shows great fighting spirit as he hangs on.

Roddick 4-4 Youzhny
Youzhny has a great chance to pass on the second point but sticks a forehand in the net. Roddick makes him pay with two searing aces.

Roddick 3-4 Youzhny
The wind is the latest cause for a Roddick moan, although Youzhny's good form in this game may be a factor. The next break will be crucial.

Roddick 3-3 Youzhny
Roddick still looks relatively fresh and is serving better and better. An ace gets him back on level terms.

Roddick 2-3 Youzhny
Youzhny is struggling to stay in touch but wins another long rally when facing break point, and Roddick must be getting frustrated at his inability to get in front.

Roddick 2-2 Youzhny
Roddick shows some uncharacteristic subtlety with a wonderful drop volley. He then shows some characterisitc muscle with a huge serve and holds to 15.

Roddick 1-2 Youzhny
Youzhny edges ahead again, winning his service game to 30, but Roddick looks the stronger man at the moment.

Roddick 1-1 Youzhny
Roddick is hitting his forehand so hard at the moment he needs about 10 minutes to wind up for it. It's working well enough, but a couple of superb drop shots help Youzhny to deuce. Roddick has another moan to the umpire about the Russian's habit of holding up his serve. The irate American whacks down two big serves to take the game.

Roddick 0-1 Youzhny
Youzhny takes a 'comfort break', allowing the crowd to enjoy some appalling and ear-splittingly loud 1990s techno. It's not exactly Wimbledon.

When play resumes, Youzhny's head appears to still be in the clouds. A poor backhand gives Roddick a break point but the Russian saves it with a well-constructed rally. Roddick earns another with his best backhand down the line of the day but then puts the return long. Youzhny comes through a big game.

Second set:

Roddick 6-0 Youzhny
It's a bagel. Roddick wraps up the love set in 22 minutes and the crowd gets going again.

Roddick 5-0 Youzhny
Another break for Roddick, again to love, and Youzhny is suddenly in all sorts of trouble.

Roddick 4-0 Youzhny
Roddick has got his swagger back and is in the old groove of big serve followed by big forehand. Youzhny nets one simple volley that suggests his mind has gone, for the moment at least.

Roddick 3-0 Youzhny
The Youzhny backhand falters and he slips to 0-40. An epic rally follows and Roddick takes the intitiative with a backhand before thumping away a forehand and pumping his fists a la Jimmy Connors. This set is done and dusted.

Roddick 2-0 Youzhny
Roddick makes a backhand pass that will have felt especially sweet, as it's a notoriously weak side for the American. Youzhny hits an even better one to get a half-chance at 15-30 and takes it to deuce with a blockbuster of a forehand. Roddick comes through with a forehand winner of his own and an ace.

Roddick 1-0 Youzhny
"Come on Andy, this is your house!" yells a fan, presumably American. It works. Youzhny plays a poor game and gives up the break moments after winning the first set.

First set:

Roddick 6-7 (5-7) Youzhny
Youzhny causes a gasp of disbelief around Arthur Ashe Satdium by taking the first set.

He moves 5-2 up but is pegged back to 5-5 by an increasingly irate Roddick, who complains to the umpire, "that's the fifth time he's told me to wait on serve - we play at my pace, right?"

Youzhny holds his nerve, earns a set point and forces a volleying error from Roddick.

Roddick 6-6 Youzhny
Roddick gets pumped up on winning the first point after scrambling back into the rally from way outside the tram lines. A fizzing backhand down the line takes him to 0-30 but Youzhny gets back to 30-30 with a stunning forehand lob and goes on to hold. Roddick is not pleased.

Roddick 6-5 Youzhny
Youzhny interrupts the flow of service winners with a fine backhand return, just as Roddick decides to serve and volley. The American reverts to type on the next point and wallops a service winner to take the game.

Roddick 5-5 Youzhny
Another Youzhny love-service game - it's like watching a Wimbledon final from 10 years ago. Richard Krajicek would be proud.

Roddick 5-4 Youzhny
An enormous ace signs off another love-service game, this time for Roddick, and a tie-break looks on the cards at the moment.

Roddick 4-4 Youzhny
Great stuff from Youzhny - a beautiful drop volley and an ace help him to a love game.

Roddick 4-3 Youzhny
At 15-30, Roddick sends down a relatively slow second serve with a huge kick that undoes Youzhny. The American looks more confident and moves to the net to seal the game, albeit with a slightly careful volley.

Roddick 3-3 Youzhny
One big advantage has is 23,000 New Yorkers desperate to see an American in the final, and he manages to get them involved for the first time by breaking back. He earns three break points before Youzhny double faults.

Roddick 2-3 Youzhny
Roddick stays in touch with some good serving that gives Youzhny little chance.

Roddick 1-3 Youzhny
Roddick gets to deuce with a fine forehand winner that Youzhny challenges unsuccessfully. The Roddick sliced backhand is coming in to play more and he earns a break point but puts an approach shot long when trying to attack the net. The American is then passed and his timing of rushes to the net is questionable. Youzhny holds.

Roddick 1-2 Youzhny
Roddick is all about power and sometimes can be made to look a little foolish by more deft opponents. Youzhny does that with a sublime lob that completely wrong-foots the American and earns two break points. Roddick blasts his way out of trouble but Youzhny earns another and withstands a barrage to force the error. First blood to the Russian.

Roddick 1-1 Youzhny
Anything you can do - Youzhny is not a big man but he can crack down a decent serve. He holds to 15.