Federer to face Djokovic in final

Novak Djokovic will play Roger Federer in the final of the Indian Wells Masters.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia

Roger Federer has set up a clash with Novak Djokovic (pic) in the final of the Indian Wells Masters. (AAP)

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will clash for the 38th time in their careers as the elite seeds set up a re-run of the 2014 final at the Indian Wells Masters.

Top seed Djokovic dominated an off-form Andy Murray 6-3 6-2 in their semi-final to win his sixth straight match over the Scot on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

Federer dashed the soaring hopes of Canadian spoiler Milos Raonic with a 7-5 6-4 win over the player who had knocked Rafael Nadal out of the event 24 hours earlier.

World No.2 Federer holds a 20-17 lead in his career series with Djokovic, losing the decider a year ago to the Serb but then winning three of their next four, including the Dubai final three weeks ago.

"We are both playing very well, so this is a time to face off for both of us, in my opinion," said the Swiss.

"Same as in Dubai, we were both playing well.

"I like these big matches, I've been playing so well and I don't feel tired. I feel great going into the finals, and I hope I can keep up this kind of a level.

"I know I need an extra special performance tomorrow because Novak's going to push you there to come up with a lot of great shots in a row, which is not always easy to do."

Djokovic won his 40th match at Indian Wells, and stands 18-2 on the season and 17-8 over Murray.

The Serb admitted that he beat an opponent having a poor day at the office.

"Even though it's a straight-sets victory, I still had to earn it. I thought he hasn't played close to his highest level, he made a lot of unforced errors, especially from the forehand side," Djokovic said.

Djokovic needed less than 90 minutes to win a re-match of the Australian Open final, where he also demoralised Murray.

The Scot has not beaten his rival since Wimbledon, 2013.

Federer was never in trouble against Raonic, who was held to just eight aces.

The Swiss icon is now one win away from a record fifth trophy at the Californian desert venue, where he won 2004-06 and in 2012.

"I'm very happy how well I'm playing, I feel good physically.

Obviously, I feel refreshed after the holiday. I'm serving well, which is always crucial.

"The racquet's working great still, so I'm very, very happy."

Federer's win improved his record at the tournament to 52-10. He stands 16-1 this season with his lone defeat coming against Andreas Seppi in the Australian Open third round.


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Source: AAP


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