Champion Roger Federer [Images] battled past third seed Lleyton Hewitt [Images], winning 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday to reach the U.S. Open men's singles final.

Australian Hewitt, the champion in 2001, fought well to win the third set but world number one Federer rebounded to set up a final against 35-year-old American Andre Agassi [Images], the seventh seed.

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The 24-year-old Swiss raised his brilliant all-court game when challenged, rebuffing five set points in the second set and sweeping the tiebreak 7-0 as he overcame his toughest test in this year's tournament in continuing his mastery over Hewitt.

Federer, who beat the Australian in last year's final, made it nine victories in a row over Hewitt, including all five times they have met in Grand Slam events.

Hewitt, fighting valiantly and resisting annoyance over more than 10 foot faults called against him in the match, ended a run of 17 consecutive losing sets against Federer by using a service break in the seventh game of the third set to extend the match.

Federer, however, broke Hewitt in the sixth game at love to take a 4-2 lead and then served out the match, clinching it when the Australian struck a backhand long.

The victory added to an extraordinary season for Federer, who improved his 2005 match record to 70-3, his season hard court record to 44-1 and his current hard court winning streak to 34.

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