Melbourne: Roger Federer reached his third consecutive Grand Slam final on Friday with an easy win over Nicolas Kiefer at the Australian Open, to set up an intriguing clash with new star Marcos Baghdatis.
The Swiss world No 1, watched by his idol Rod Laver on the arena named after him, was too consistent for the self-destructing 21st seeded German, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 in 2hour 40minutes.
Federer picked up his game after error-riddled wins over Tommy Haas and Nikolay Davydenko in previous rounds, but he still made 33 unforced errors.
The top seed is looking for his second Australian Open, after beating Russian Marat Safin in 2004, and his seventh Grand Slam crown.
"We've had many close and tough matches over the years, he's beaten me a few times and happily I've beaten him more times than he's beaten me," Federer said of Kiefer, the bad boy of the tournament who has rung up a stack of fines.
"It was tough from the beginning (with roof closed), I thought the conditions were way different than the other night I played against Davydenko and I had to really get used to it," he added.
"In the end I really turned it up when I had to."
Federer said he was looking forward to playing tournament surprise packet Baghdatis in Sunday's final.
"I played him here in the fourth round last year. It's been a great effort by him and everybody is talking about the young guns coming, but not really about Marcos, but he definitely has broken through here," he said.
Kiefer, who was in his first slam semi-final, self-destructed with a faltering service and volleying clangers and was never able to put enough pressure on Federer, twice double-faulting on break point and committing a total of 53 unforced errors.
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The German, who was fined $6,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and obscenities in earlier rounds, was off his best and looked to have been dulled by his extra six hours on court than Federer to reach the semi-final.
Federer said he was honoured to play before Australian tennis great Laver, who has flown out from the United States to present the winner's trophy on Sunday.
"I met and spoke for the first time with Rod the other day and it was a great honour for me and it's fantastic to play in front of him tonight."
The Swiss broke Kiefer's serve six times and only gave up his own serve once when he lost the second set.
It improved his record over Kiefer to 8-3, winning their last seven meetings, and extended his winning streak this season to 11 matches.
Federer broke Kiefer's serve in the fourth game of the first set after the German double-faulted on break point.
The Swiss had two set points in the eighth game, but Kiefer served himself out of strife. Federer though locked up the opening set in 44 minutes on a net cord.
The feisty German had a struggle to hold his serve in the ninth game of the second set which went to three deuces, but it was Federer who cracked in the 12th game with two volleying errors to allow Kiefer to level the match.
But the world No 1 ran away with the third set, scoring three service breaks and dominating the points 25-8 to win to love in 25 minutes.
It got no better for the misfiring German in the fourth set with two more service breaks allowing Federer to clinch victory.
The win extended Federer's record-breaking winning streak on hard courts to 51 -- 17 more than the next best by Pete Sampras.
Meanwhile Australian tennis great Rod Laver will present the trophy to the winner of the mens singles final at the Australian Open on Sunday, Tennis Australia said.
Laver, 67, was originally scheduled to present the trophy to the men's champion at the centenary Australian Open last year but was unable to attend due to an illness in the family.
He is the only player to win the Grand Slam of the four majors twice, in 1962 and 1969, and the main arena at Melbourne Park is named after him.
Laver won three Australian Open singles titles among a career tally of 11 Grand Slam singles victories.
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