Federer grabs a quick one in final

Top-ranked Roger Federer routed Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday to advance to the Australian Open final. Roddick had hoped that his net-charging tactics

Top-ranked Roger Federer routed Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday to advance to the Australian Open final. Roddick had hoped that his net-charging tactics, implemented by new coach Jimmy Connors after Wimbledon last year, would help him close the gap with Federer. He beat the Swiss star at an exhibition tournament less than two weeks ago.

But after looking vulnerable in some of his earlier matches here, Federer was virtually untouchable as he reached his seventh consecutive Grand Slam final. He ran off 11 consecutive games against sixth-seeded Roddick. Seeking his 10th Grand Slam title, he blunted Roddick8217;s powerful serve and whipped passing shots seemingly at will.

8220;I had one of these days when everything worked, I was unbeatable,8221; Federer said. 8220;It8217;s just unreal. I am shocked myself, I don8217;t know what to say. The tournament is not even over yet. Let me do it one more time.8221;

Roddick, who often stared at Federer as if he couldn8217;t believe what he was seeing, won only nine of his 31 approaches to the net, and had only 11 winners. Federer had 45 winners and just 12 unforced errors.

Federer will play the winner of Friday8217;s semi-final between 10th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez and No. 12 Tommy Haas.

Serena Williams earlier proved her doubters wrong. Unseeded after an injury-plagued 2006 that limited her to four tournaments, the former world No. 1 reached her first Grand Slam final in two years Thursday, beating Nicole Vaidisova 7-6 5, 6-4 to reach the women8217;s final.

Standing in the way of an eighth Grand Slam title 8212; she already has two here 8212; is top-seeded Maria Sharapova. Sharapova turned her semi-final against No. 4 Kim Clijsters into an Australian farewell match for the 23-year-old Belgian, who is retiring at the end of the year, with a 6-4, 6-2 victory.

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Williams and Sharapova are 2-2 in head-to-heads. Williams won their last encounter after saving match points in the semi-finals here two years ago before going on to win the title.

Ranked No. 81 coming into the tournament after dropping out of the top 100 last year while dealing with a bad knee, Williams guaranteed herself a return to the top 20.

8220;I can8217;t believe it,8221; she said. 8220;That8217;s awesome. I8217;m like a chameleon. I can kind of change and get my game going to whatever the situation is. If I play well, which I don8217;t think I8217;ve even reached yet at all in this tournament.8221;

Sharapova certainly isn8217;t taking Williams lightly. 8220;I8217;m going to be playing against a player that didn8217;t really expect too much coming into this tournament,8221; she said. 8220;She8217;s playing some really good tennis. I think she has nothing to lose going into the match.8221;