Federer will now play Lleyton Hewitt in the final after the Australian recorded a 6-4 7-5 6-3 win over Sweden’s Joachim Johansson.

Although Henman’s performances have made a mockery of claims he cannot be a contender for honours away from his cherished Wimbledon – where those first four semi-final losses were inflicted – he again came up short.

Fellow Briton Greg Rusedski blasted his way into the 1997 final, and although he lost out to Pat Rafter that day, Britain’s number two has one up on Henman in that he has savoured such an occasion.

Perhaps Henman will not get another chance such as that which presented itself today.

The trouble for Henman was that Wimbledon champion Federer, a 6-3 6-4 6-4 winner in an utterly one-sided contest, hardly put a foot wrong.

Henman – who reached the milestone birthday of 30 five days ago – made a nervy start, failing to win a point in Federer’s opening service game.

Although Henman entered the match having won six of his eight career match-ups with Switzerland’s world number one, statistics do not win US Open semi-finals.

Those favouring Federer were pointing to his eight titles in 2004 – to Henman’s zero – as proof of where the true balance of power might lie.

The back injury which Henman believes he suffered not through tennis exertions but by playing too much golf did not seem to impede his play.

There were three consecutive breaks of serve in the first set, Federer grabbing two of those to establish early domination.

Henman had severely struggled with his first serve, landing only 35% in the service box, perhaps all too aware of Federer’s returning prowess.

That record improved markedly in the next set, but still the deliveries were often coming back with interest.

While it can be soul-destroying to lose to lesser players at such a stage of a grand slam, at least in his previous Wimbledon defeats, and at the French, those players across the net have carried all the credentials to make each defeat understandable.

Pete Sampras – twice, Hewitt and Goran Ivanisevic have ruined Henman’s ambitions of spending the first Sunday of July contesting the Wimbledon final, and clay-court expert Guillermo Coria put an end to his Paris folly.

Federer moved to break point on the Henman serve in the seventh game, and Henman’s first double fault of the match settled that issue and, effectively, the second set.

The relentless pace of Federer’s game meant that Henman’s route back into the match was blocked, gamely though he fought to unsettle the head-banded opponent by charging the net and volleying at every opportunity.

Whatever he tried, Federer quickly got clever to his opponent’s intentions.

Trailing by two sets, it was beginning to look very bleak for Henman.

The momentum was firmly with Federer and he began the third set by breaking Henman and then holding serve to establish a 2-0 lead.

It got worse. Another break gave Federer an ever more commanding lead and although Henman never let his head drop, pinching back one of the breaks and drawing himself back into the set from 5-1 down to 5-4, it was the man from Basle who took the set 6-4 – and the coveted place in the title match.

Federer’s display – aside from his late nerves – was one of awesome flair, style and intelligence.

Once the pain of defeat has eased, Henman will look back and reflect on a brilliant fortnight, his best yet in New York.

But as Federer wrapped up victory, the chances of Britain’s most successful male tennis player since the late Fred Perry ever landing one of the sport’s top prizes were further diminished.