Igor Andreev powered Russia to their second successive Davis Cup final by beating Philipp Kohl-schreiber 6-3 3-6 6-0 6-3 in the fifth and deciding rubber yesterday, giving the champions a 3-2 win over Germany in Moscow.
In the final, Russia will face the United States after they beat Sweden 4-1 in the other semi-final in Gothenburg.
"It's a great feeling to get the winning point in front of the home crowd," said 24-year-old Muscovite Andreev after clinching the semi-final tie on his fourth match point after two hours 39 minutes.
Kohlschreiber double-faulted on break point in the eighth game to lose the first set but broke the Russian in the sixth game of the second with a powerful backhand down the line to even the contest.
But the German, who overcame world number four Nikolay Davydenko in a tough five-setter on Friday to give the visitors their first point in the tie, began to tire as the match wore on.
Claycourt specialist Andreev, who trounced world number 11 Tommy Haas in straight sets in Friday's opener, raced through the third in 37 minutes, then secured the decisive break in the eighth game of the fourth set before serving out the match to bring the home crowd to their feet.
Earlier, world number 17 Mikhail Youzhny beat 206th-ranked Philipp Petzschner 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the first reverse singles to pull the home team level at 2-2.
It was Russia's 14th consecutive home victory, dating back to the 1995 final when they lost to the US.
In Sweden, Andy Roddick beat Jonas Bjorkman in straight sets to take the US to the final.
Doubles specialist Bjorkman, a last minute replacement for Thomas Johansson, who was ill, put in a brave performance but never threatened the world number five who fired 16 aces to win 6-2 7-6 6-4.
The win provided an unassailable lead for the Americans, who went on to make it 4-1 when James Blake defeated Simon Aspelin 6-1 6-3 in the fifth rubber.
The US will host the final against Russia.
"It's for moments like these you put in your time on the practice courts," said Roddick, who has shown remarkable form and has not been broken once in his two singles matches during the weekend.
"If you'd told me ahead of the match that I'd beat Jonas in three sets I think I might have questioned your sanity."