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Federer fends off Del Potro to book Murray showdown

Roger Federer was untouchable on serve © Getty Images

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Andy Murray will meet Roger Federer in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship after the Swiss saw off a stubborn Juan Martin Del Potro.

Murray stunned Novak Djokovic in Friday's first semi-final before Federer claimed a hard-fought 7-6(5) 7-6(6) victory as he remained on course for a fifth title in Dubai.

Federer is the only player not to drop his serve this week, and he remained indomitable on serve as he did not face a single break point. Del Potro saved all six break points against him but was unable to navigate his way past a supremely confident Federer.

Del Potro looks to be returning to top form after a serious wrist injury in 2010, winning his first title of 2012 in Marseille last week. However Federer, who beat Del Potro in the final in Rotterdam a fortnight ago, reminded the Argentine he still has some way to go if he is to return to the form that saw him win the US Open in 2009.

With both players virtually impassable on serve, it was inevitable that tiebreakers would be necessary to separate the pair, and ultimately Federer's variety proved too strong for Del Potro's powerful groundstrokes.

The match looked to be heading for a decider when Del Potro raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set tiebreak, but Federer rallied to claim a hard-earned win for the chance to regain the title he last won in 2007.

At the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, Kevin Anderson saved three match points in a second-set tiebreak before claiming the scalp of fourth seed Andy Roddick 2-6 7-6(9) 6-4.

Top seed John Isner also advanced to the semi-finals after sweeping aside Bernard Tomic 6-3 6-2. Meeting Tomic for the first time, Isner had far too much power for his Australian foe, converting four of his five break-point opportunities to wrap up victory in under an hour.

Philipp Kohlschreiber was a shock casualty, the fifth seed losing in three sets to Dudi Sela, while 2010 champion Ernests Gulbis was ousted by Marinko Matosevic.

Meanwhile at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, top seed and two-time defending champion David Ferrer defeated Santiago Giraldo 7-5 6-4 to set up an all-Spanish final against Fernando Verdasco, who beat Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3 6-3.

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