Djokovic, Federer to clash in Dubai semis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dubai, United Arab Emirates (SportsNetwork.com) - Reigning champion and four-time overall titlist Novak Djokovic and five-time winner Roger Federer will square off in a marquee semifinal Friday at the $1.928 million Dubai Tennis Championships.
The top-seeded former world No. 1 star Djokovic was scheduled to face sixth- seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny on Thursday, but the two-time Dubai runner-up pulled out due to an illness. Youzhny lost to Djokovic in the 2010 Dubai finale.
Djokovic beat Czech Tomas Berdych in last year's final.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded former No. 1 great Federer handled Czech slugger Lukas Rosol 6-2, 6-2 on the hardcourts at Dubai Tennis Stadium.
In addition to his record five Dubai titles, the currently eighth-ranked Federer was also a runner-up here in 2006 and 2011.
Djokovic and Federer will meet for a 32nd time, with the Swiss icon holding a slight 16-15 advantage in their lifetime series. They've split a pair of matches in Dubai, with Federer prevailing in a quarterfinal in 2007 and Djokovic coming out on top in the 2011 final. Friday will mark their first meeting of 2014.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Since 2003, Djokovic and Federer have won nine of 11 titles in Dubai.
A third-seeded Berdych reached the semis by handling fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-3. Tsonga was fresh off his runner-up finish in Marseille in his native France last week.
The red-hot Berdych has won his last 10 matches, including a title in Rotterdam two weeks ago, and is now 15-2 overall in 2014.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Berdych's opponent on Friday will be seventh-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who leveled Tunisian wild card Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-3 on Day 4.