Roddick mauls the "Beast"

Andy Roddick is installed as the bookmaker's favourite for the U.S. Open which starts LIVE on Eurosport on August 25th after a superb straight sets 7-6 6-4 defeat of Belarussia's Max Mirnyi in the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Masters on Saturday. The Am

Eurosport

Image credit: TNT Sports

The seventh-seeded American, who has won titles at Indianapolis and Montreal in recent weeks, was thankful for two lucky net cords in the first set tiebreak against Mirnyi.

But he was nothing short of majestic in the second set to record his 29th win from the last 31 matches.

He will meet the winner of Saturday's other semi-final between German eighth seed Rainer Schuettler and American Mardy Fish in the final on Sunday.

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Mirnyi's confidence and serve-and-volley approach put Roddick under immense pressure in the first set, but the 20-year-old remained firm to force a tiebreak.

However, he then found himself 5-1 down and facing the prospect of losing a set for the first time in six matches.

One breathtaking crosscourt pass and solid serves brought him back to 5-4, before an outrageous net cord left Mirnyi stranded to even things at 5-5.

On the next point, another Roddick pass hit the tape, forcing Mirnyi to improvise a volley that he could not control.

"You like your chances when you are 5-1 up in a tiebreak," Mirnyi said. "I think that first net cord got him back in it.

"But I can't be unhappy with going this far in the tournament."

Roddick then took control of the match, breaking in the first game of the second set.

He then saved a break point in the sixth game, recovered from a fall in the eighth and served out moments later.

"Max has been playing so well, I knew what I was facing and I knew I wouldn't get many chances," Roddick said.

"Luckily I managed to take them, although he helped me out by missing a couple of volleys along the way."

Roddick has now won 19 out of 20 matches in the north-American hardcourt season. His only defeat was to Tim Henman in the semi-finals of the Washington tournament.

Victory on Sunday would give him back-to-back Masters Series titles.

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