Lleyton Hewitt, who seems to feed off controversy and adversity, endured 31 aces to beat second-seeded Andy Roddick 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-1 on Friday and advance to the Australian Open final.
Third-ranked Hewitt, the "Aussie battler" who complained before the tournament about the courts being slow and has angered three opponents with his loud shouts to pump himself up, was at his aggressive, fist-pumping best against Roddick.
He fired up the crowd, which was too vocal for Roddick's tastes _ he complained about fans shouting during his service motion. Trying to become the first Australian man to win in Melbourne since Mark Edmondson in 1976,
Hewitt advanced to Sunday's final against fourth-seeded Marat Safin. Safin ended top-ranked Roger Federer's 26-match winning streak in the other semifinal _ each seeking his second Grand Slam title on Sunday.