Roger Federer stood one match away from a record 15th grand slam title after he snuffed out the challenge of Germany's Tommy Haas 7-6 7-5 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon final on Friday.
The five-times champion edged his 31-year-old rival in a display of sheer brilliance before a mesmerized Center Court crowd, ending the contest with a brilliant slam-dunk smash.
By downing Haas in just over two hours, the Swiss became the first man to reach seven successive Wimbledon finals since the abolition of the Challenge Round in 1922.