Murray to play Verdasco in Dubai final

Briton Murray lost his serve twice to Pouille in the opening set but the top seed broke the seventh-seeded Frenchman for the third time to take it.

(Reuters)

Murray, who played a marathon 31-minute tiebreak in his quarter-final win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber, breezed through the second set to reach his second final in Dubai.

Spaniard Verdasco, 33, beat Dutchman Robin Haase 7-6(5) 5-7 6-1 in a clash between two unseeded players to advance to Saturday's final.

(Writing by Ed Osmond in London; editing by Ken Ferris)