Murray downs Djokovic in Dubai

Straight-sets win takes Scot into the final.

DUBAI: Andy Murray ended Novak Djokovic’s three-year winning sequence in the Dubai Open yesterday, beating the Serb 6-2, 7-5 in the semi-final.

“It’s obviously great any time you beat the world number one,” said Murray. “I just tried to do some of the same things I did in Australia. I was very close there against one of the greatest players ever, and today I did what I needed to — even though it nearly got away from me at the end.”

He was helped when after a quarter of an hour Djokovic unexpectedly faltered. He won the first 10 points behind his serve, and had just delivered two hurtling aces down the middle, when four relatively unforced errors poured from the champion’s racket.

Djokovic said he had simply lost to the better player on the day. “Generally I feel good, physically, mentally,” said Djokovic. “It’s just the start of the season.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2012.