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.

The five-times champion edged his 31-year-old rival in a display of sheer brilliance before a mesmerised Centre Court crowd, ending the match with a brilliant slam-dunk smash.

By downing Haas in just over two hours, he became the first man to reach seven successive Wimbledon finals since the abolition of the Challenge Round in 1922.American Andy Roddick ended Briton Andy Murray's Wimbledon dream by winning their men's semi-final 6-4 4-6 7-6 7-6.

Third seed Murray was bidding to become the first British man since Bunny Austin in 1938 to advance to the Wimbledon men's final.

Sixth-seeded Roddick, a former world number one and winner of the 2003 US Open, broke Murray in the final game of the first set.

Murray broke back immediately to level the match 1-1 and held three break points in the first game of the third and set point in the tiebreak but could not take advantage.