Djokovic to repeat Australian Open win over Murray in Dubai
Published:Andy Murray will not need much motivation for victory heading into his semi final with Novak Djokovic at the Dubai Championships, but the sensible money will be on the world number one repeating his Australian Open success at 2/5.
Murray came within a whisker of beating Djokovic in their last-four clash in Melbourne in January and is eager to reverse this result in the UAE.
The Brit reached the semi finals with a straight-set victory over Tomas Berdych and this result will have given him confidence, as Murray has previously lost three on the bounce against the Czech star.
He has also only beaten Djokovic once since 2009 and this only arrived when the Serbian was forced to retire in the second set in Cincinnati last year.
Murray is 2/1 to beat Djokovic and all of his four professional victories against the world number one have come on hard courts.
However, Djokovic has to be favoured given that he survived until June last year without a single defeat in 2011 and faces a Murray that is being troubled slightly by a knee problem.
The other Dubai semi final looks slightly tougher to call as Roger Federer faces a Juan Martin del Potro who is quickly rediscovering his best form.
Federer has won nine of their 11 meetings in total, including all of the last three, and has been in fine form of late with recent tournament victory in Rotterdam.
The Swiss star is looking for a record fifth title in Dubai and is 1/3 to beat Del Porto, while 10/11 may be worth considering that he triumphs in straight sets.
Del Potro may be buoyed by a second successive victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and is 12/5 to continue his improving form by repeating his 2009 US Open final success over Federer.
