Top-ranked Murray to face Verdasco in Dubai final

Top-ranked Andy Murray reached his second final of the season with a dominant 7-5, 6-1 win over seventh-seeded Lucas Pouille at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Friday. Murray, who lost the Qatar Open final to Novak Djokovic in January, should feel confident of a 45th career title when he faces the unseeded Fernando Verdasco in Saturday’s final.

Defending champ Djokovic to face top-ranked Murray in final

Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived five match points to beat Fernando Verdasco and set up a final against top-ranked Andy Murray, who had far less trouble winning his semifinal as he recorded a seventh straight victory against Tomas Berdych. On another day of chilly and windy weather Friday, Djokovic prevailed 4-6, 7-6 , 6-3 after the 42nd-ranked Verdasco, a crafty left-hander and former top-10 player, controlled the first two sets until the latter stages of the tiebreaker.