WIMBLEDON, England - When Roger Federer clinched his latest berth in the Wimbledon final, he tossed his sweaty bandanna toward the crowd, leaving a mussed moptop as he walked off Centre Court.

Unruly hairdo aside, the top-ranked Federer looked impeccable Friday as he beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the semifinals. The stylish Swiss needs one more victory to join Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg as the only men since 1936 to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles.

"A few more days of pressure," Federer said. "My heart rate starts to go up when the occasions are big."

Butterflies weren't apparent against Hewitt, the 2002 champion and the world's second-ranked player. Federer seized a quick 2-0 lead and never trailed, facing only one break point.

"I feel like I'm the second-best player going around right at the moment," Hewitt said. "It's just that the best player going around is pretty bloody good."

Their lopsided rivalry underscores Federer's superiority on the men's tour. He has won eight consecutive matches and 15 consecutive sets against the combative Australian, suggesting a psychological edge.

"It's obvious," Federer said. "It's not so easy to play somebody who you've lost to so many times. That definitely helps me."

Federer, seeking his fifth major title, was forced to wait to learn his opponent in Sunday's final. The semifinal between 2004 runner-up Andy Roddick and Thomas Johansson was on serve in the first set when rain halted play with Roddick leading 6-5.

After a wait of three hours into Friday evening, the match was suspended overnight.

Top-ranked Lindsay Davenport needed just four minutes to complete a rain-interrupted semifinal victory over Amelie Mauresmo 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4. Davenport, the 1999 champion, was to face two-time champ Venus Williams in the final Saturday.

Federer, ranked No. 1 since February 2004, had been 0-2 in Grand Slam semifinals this year. But the first Wimbledon semi since 1989 to involve the two top-ranked men turned out to be a mismatch.