But that effort in the humid conditions took their toll on the 28-year-old Queenslander and Agassi pounced to square things up again.

Rafter looked on the point of exhaustion entering the final set and had the added problem of leg muscle cramps.

He received treatment, but there was real concern in his camp about his condition and Agassi’s greater reserves of energy swept him to a 7-5 2-6 6-7 6-2 6-3 victory and into a final against Arnaud Clement or Sebastien Grosjean. The two Frenchmen play tomorrow.

Agassi, a super athlete still at the age of 30, had dropped only one set en route to the last four - against another Australian, Andrew Ilie - and is a firm favourite to lift the trophy again.

Rafter revealed he was feeling pressure by starting with a double fault, a real let-down for the record attendance of over 17,000. But they were soon roused as he boomed down four aces to take the opening game.

Agassi, though, had the first chance to break. It came in the ninth game, but Rafter forced deuce with a fierce and accurate smash and held for 5-4.

Rafter wanted to play the match from the net as much as he could - as he does every time he plays - but Agassi was pinning him back by drilling the ball into the corners.

A questionable line-call against Rafter gave Agassi another opening at 5-5 30-30. Rafter followed it with another double fault, then hit a backhand volley over the baseline to leave his opponent serving for the set.

He did it to love to deliver the clear message that, despite knowing it could be Rafter’s last attempt to win the event before going into retirement, he meant business.

Rafter had beaten Agassi in five sets in the Wimbledon semi-finals last year and on three other occasions in their 11 matches but grass suited his serve-and-volley style much more than the hard Australian court.

He had never previously gone beyond the fourth round in Melbourne, but had dropped only two sets himself in this year’s championship before today and was giving his all on every point. Eventually it was to tell.

He had his first break point in Agassi’s opening service game of the second set, but sent a return inches out and after four more deuces Agassi held.

The break did come two games later, however - and it was to love, Rafter being given the gift of a double fault at 40-love.

Agassi had to serve to save the set at 2-5, but Rafter had two set points and after one was saved with an ace a brilliant winner from yards behind the baseline levelled the match.

Rafter was 15-40 down serving at 1-1 in the third set, but came up with two successive aces and won the game with a third.

Another came to his rescue at 15-30 two games later after two double faults and he then produced two more in the same situation to make it 5-4.

The tension grew and when the set went into a tie-break the atmosphere was electric.

The crucial mistake came from Agassi, who netted a backhand to give Rafter two set points. He saved one, but when the serve switched Agassi sent a return wide.

Fitness was becoming a really telling factor by now despite the match being played in the evening rather than the heat of the day.

Rafter, sweating profusely from the first set, called for a trainer to help him boost his body fluid levels despite all his drinking and how he was feeling may have had something to do with him falling 15-40 down at 1-2.

Again he served big when he needed it most, but Agassi got another chance and punished a second serve to go 3-1 ahead.

Agassi took the set 6-2, but the exhausted Rafter appeared to be saving himself for one last effort in the final set rather than draining his low energy levels on what might have been a lost cause.

There just was not sufficient time for him to recover, though.