DUBAI, March 2: Roger Federer’s defence of the Dubai Open title came to a dramatic end on Friday in the semi-finals after he failed to convert three match points against Tomas Berdych, the man who also upset him in the US Open.

The world number six from the Czech Republic thrillingly turned the match around after a neck-and-neck second set tie-break, going on to win 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 against the five-time champion and set up a final against Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian world number one extended his unbeaten run to 17 matches and reached the 55th final of his career with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over Juan Martin Del Potro, the former US Open champion from Argentina.

Federer was on the verge of success at 6-4 and 8-7 in the tie break, with the second of the three points coming on his serve, only for Berdych to somehow get into a rally and win it with some fierce ground strokes.

One break of serve halfway through the final set then proved decisive, as Federer gambled more and more on rushing the net instead of continuing the bruising baseline exchanges which characterised the first two sets.

“It’s obviously unfortunate, you know,” said Federer, for whom this is a tournament in his second home. “Pity to lose that one, but Tomas did well to hang in there.”

ISNER DOWNS ANDERSON

DELRAY BEACH: Top seed John Isner downed defending champion Kevin Anderson 6-2, 7-6 in a battle of tennis giants to march into the semi-finals of the Delray Beach International on Friday.

The 2.06 metre (6ft 9in) Isner blasted 17 aces against the 2.03 metre (6ft 8in) South African to prevail in 79 minutes and will play Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin for a place in the final.

Roger-Vasselin was too good for Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis, advancing with a fuss-free 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Second-seeded German Tommy Haas had more trouble getting past Croatian Ivan Dodig but prevailed 7-6, 2-6, 6-1.

Results: Quarter-finals: 1-John Isner (US) bt 6-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-2 7-6(1), Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) bt Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 6-4, 6-3; 2-Tommy Haas (Germany) bt Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-1; Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) bt Daniel Munoz (Spain) 6-1, 6-4.

NADAL TO PLAY FERRER IN FINAL

ACAPULCO: Rafael Nadal advanced to the Mexican Open final with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Nicolas Almagro on Friday, setting up a championship match against Spanish compatriot and three-time defending champion David Ferrer.

Nadal beat Almagro in 1 hour, 49 minutes to improve to 9-0 in their head-to-head meetings.

Ferrer had to work hard to reach his fourth straight final, edging Italian Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1 in 2 hours, 23 minutes.—Agencies