Top seed Roger Federer relentlessly devastated Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in a nail biting Centre Court semi-final demolition on Friday to move within only one win off a hat-trick of titles.

The 23-year-old world number one from Switzerland will face the winner between last year's runner-up Andy Roddick, the American second seed, and Thomas Johansson, the 12th seed from Sweden, in Sunday's final.

The win was Federer's 35th successive win on grass with his last defeat on the surface coming at the hands of Mario Ancic on Centre Court in 2002, the year that Hewitt won the title.

It was also Federer's eighth win in a row over the Australian, a run stretching back to the Davis Cup semi-finals in 2003 when Hewitt fought back from a two-set deficit.

Hewitt had come into the semi-final still simmering with resentment over being seeded three instead of two which would have been in line with his world ranking and would have kept him away from Federer until the final.

Federer struck first breaking Hewitt to lead 2-0 before the Australian hit back immediately but the Swiss then edged ahead to 5-3 when he played a sweetly-timed backhand which the Australian could only guide into the net.

The top seed got to set point with his third ace and took the opener after just 36 minutes when Hewitt again netted a service return.

The 24-year-old Hewitt struggled to match Federer's change of pace and trademark accuracy and angles.

He went down a break to trail to 4-2 in the second set and when Federer held to lead 5-3, the champion had dropped just two points on his serve.

The Australian saved a set point in the ninth game but he was powerless to prevent Federer from clinching the second set when he was run out wide by another searing forehand and could only steer his reply into the net.

Federer made just two unforced errors in the second set as Hewitt's Wimbledon dream began to unravel after only 70 minutes of action.

The Australian gamely saved two break points in the fifth game of the third set and would have carved out a break point lifeline in the following game had umpire Pascal Maria not over-ruled a linesman who had called a Federer forehand long.

Hewitt was playing his best tennis but was unable to prevent the tiebreak in which Federer inched towards two match points.

He secured the tie and a place in the final when Hewitt netted a forehand return after two hours and seven minutes on court.

Source: Xinhua