Ice-cool Roddick earns another shot at Federer

By Kevin Fylan

LONDON (Reuters) - Andy Roddick earned another chance to cast off the 'one-slam wonder' tag he feared would live with him forever when steely nerve and a golden serve gave him a Wimbledon semi-final win over Andy Murray on Friday.

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 U.S. 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 all 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."