Roddick Downed By Homeboy Hewitt

Local hero Lleyton Hewitt upset the odds today by overcoming second seed Andy Roddick to book a place in the final of the Australian Open.

Hewitt lost the first set 3-6 but then clinched then next two on tie-breakers and built up enough momentum to break the American's serve twice in the fourth set to claim it 6-1. He will now meet Marat Safin in Sunday's title decider.

Many observers had expected Hewitt to wilt under the weight of expectation from the Melbourne crowd, who made their allegiance clear in the very first game by bursting into a spontaneous rendition of their national anthem, and that prophesy looked like being fulfilled as he struggled to cope with the power of Roddick early on.

As the match wore on, however, the Australian regained his poise and it was the highly-fancied American who became jittery, making a total of 50 unforced errors before succumbing meekly in the fourth set.