Wimbledon -03/07/2009
Roddick: Regime helped
It was as if the Roddick of old was back on Centre Court as the American sixth seed played with the fearless swagger that took him to the US Open title as a 21-year-old in 2003.
His reward for a 6-4 4-6 7-6 7-6 victory over the home favourite and third seed is a third appearance in the final at Wimbledon and once again it will be against Roger Federer, the man who denied him in 2004 and 2005.
Few had expected him to survive against Murray, four years his junior at 22, but the extra hours of fitness work Roddick has put in under new coach Larry Stefanki paid off.
Roddick hired Stefanki, who took Chile's Fernando Gonzalez to the 2007 Australian Open final, after failing to go beyond the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam last season.
At the time he wondered if he had a future at the top end of the game but under Stefanki's guidance he lost around six kilos, to noticeable effect in the way he moves around court.
"This off-season, we said, 'You know what, if you're not gonna be up there, let's at least not wonder. Let's prepare yourself and give yourself every opportunity'," said Roddick.
"I did work real hard and was committed, and have been committed from everything to diet to sleep to everything.
"So I certainly gave myself every opportunity to succeed."
He used his most potent weapon to good effect on Friday, serving a 225kph ace in the first game to draw gasps from the crowd and finishing with a first serve percentage of 75.
At the match's conclusion Roddick sank down, scarcely able to believe he had won, before standing to applaud the crowd and celebrate with a discreet pump of his first.
The performance was all the more remarkable given that he had come through a draining five-setter against Lleyton Hewitt in the quarter-finals and came into the tournament still feeling the effects of an ankle sprain suffered at Queen's.
If he is to become the first American man to win at Wimbledon since Pete Sampras in 2000 he will have to play the match of his life against Federer, the five-times champion who is aiming for a record 15th Grand Slam title.
"I'd love to delay it (Federer's record) for another grand Slam," Roddick said.