By Phil Brown
The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia - Exhausted and in pain, Andy Roddick bowed out of the Australian Open, tantalizingly close to a Battle of the Ages title match against Andre Agassi.

Still feeling the effects of the longest fifth set in Grand Slam tennis history, the ninth-seeded Roddick lost his Australian Open semifinal to Rainer Schuettler 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday.

Schuettler, a German seeded 31st, will play three-time champion Agassi in the final. Agassi won their only previous match in straight sets in 1998.

"It was my second year on tour. It's a long time ago," the 26-year-old Schuettler said. "I think I have improved a lot. It's fun to go out there and try to give my best."

The final will provide quite a contrast. Agassi will be in his 14th Grand Slam final, while Schuettler never had been past the fourth round at a major.

There could have been an even bigger clash to decide the title, at least as far as a U.S. audience would be concerned: the 32-year-old Agassi vs. the 20-year-old Roddick. The accomplished veteran with eight Grand Slam tournament championships vs. the up-and-comer seeking his first. The greatest returner of his generation vs. one of the best servers of his.

But Schuettler's speed and Roddick's swollen right wrist conspired to set up a different final.

Roddick could be excused if he was a tad fatigued after winning his quarterfinal match 21-19 in the fifth set. The match against Younes El Aynaoui lasted 4 hours, 59 minutes.

The worst effect from that marathon turned out to be the wrist injury, which ATP trainer Bill Norris said he and a doctor tried to help. Norris said Roddick turned down "any real pain killers."

Roddick said he might have pulled out of a lesser tournament, but "I wasn't going to pull out of another Grand Slam."

He quit during the second round of last year's Australian Open with a sprained ankle - he wore ankle braces this year - and stopped during his third-round match at the 2001 French Open because of a strained hamstring.

The wrist pain was tolerable when Roddick warmed up for his semifinal against Schuettler, and he thought adrenaline might pull him through. "But it just didn't happen," Roddick said.

He was treated at various stages of the match by trainers, who taped the wrist and applied anti-inflammatory gels.

Still, Schuettler had a lot to do with the outcome. The German "didn't make a lot of errors," Roddick said. "He won the big points when he had to. He played me smart, considering the circumstances. He deserves to be in the final."

Schuettler did a good job returning against Roddick, who hit one serve at a tournament-best 140 mph and averaged 123 mph on his first serve.

"My game is to play aggressive from the baseline. I just try to play my game. It's always the same," Schuettler said.

Agassi won the Australian Open in 1995, 2000 and 2001, but he didn't play last year because of a wrist injury. He's won his last 20 matches in the tournament.

"Maybe if he eats something wrong the day before, then I have a chance," Schuettler said, joking. "He's in good shape. He played the matches unbelievable. I'll go out there and try to give my best."