MELBOURNE : Reality bit Andy Roddick on Friday. The American earned a final date with World No. 1 Roger Federer at the invitational Kooyong Classic after firing past British No. 1 Andy Murray 6-4, 6-4.

Saturday's showdown will give Roddick an opportunity to snap a losing eight-match run against the Swiss but with the tournament an exhibition tune-up for next week's Australian Open, Roddick acknowledged a win would amount to very little.

"Let's say I do come out here and beat Roger tomorrow, I wouldn't act like a world beater," said Roddick, who was drawn in the same half as Federer for next week's Australian Open.

Roddick won the Kooyong title last January, yet his Open campaign was halted in the fourth round by Marcos Baghdatis.

In Sydney, Kim Clijsters stared down defeat and fought off a match point to end Jelena Jankovic's unbeaten start to the year in the Sydney International final here on Friday.

The Belgian world No.5 looked down the barrel as the intense Serb youngster twice served for the match only to be broken and taken into a second set tiebreaker.

Jankovic, who had won all of her nine matches this year, played wretchedly in the tie-breaker, double-faulting three times to concede the set and then mentally unravelled as Clijsters took out a tense final set.

Clijsters, 23, playing in her farewell season, claimed her second Sydney title, following her 2003 success, to beat the 12th-ranked Jankovic 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 in almost two and a half hours and boost her confidence for next week's Australian Open in Melbourne.

In the men's event, James Blake set up a meeting with Spain's Carlos Moya in the final after the American's semifinal opponent Juergen Melzer pulled out before their match with a stomach virus.

"It's a little bittersweet," Blake said. "It's great to be back in the final... to start a year off this way and get to compete for a title."

Meanwhile in doubles action, fourth seeds Leander Paes and Martin Damn were ousted by second-seeded duo of Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals.

The results:

At Sydney (ATP & WTA Medibank International): Men: Singles: Semifinals: James Blake bt Juergen Melzer (walkover); Carlos Moya bt Richard Gasquet 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Doubles: Semifinals: Mark Knowles & Daniel Nestor bt Martin Damm & Leander Paes 6-2, 6-3; Paul Hanley & Kevin Ullyett bt Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski 6-2, 7-6(4).

Women: Final: Kim Clijsters bt Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4.

At Melbourne (Kooyong Classic): Promotion: Andy Roddick bt Andy Murray 6-4, 6-4. Relegation: Radek Stepanek bt Ivan Ljubicic 6-2, 6-2; Fernando Gonzalez bt Tommy Haas 6-4, 7-6(8).

At Hobart (WTA Moorila International): Final: Anna Chakvetadze bt Vasilisa Bardina 6-3, 7-6(3).

At Auckland (ATP Heineken Open): Semifinals: David Ferrer bt Mardy Fish 6-0, 4-6, 6-1; Tommy Robredo bt Agustin Calleri 6-4, 6-0. — Agencies

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