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Andy Murray recovered from a set down to beat world number two Roger Federer 4-6 6-2 7-6 (8) in the semi-finals of the World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.

The world number four has now won three successive matches over Federer since losing in straight sets in the US Open final last September - extending his winning record over the Swiss to 5-2.

"It's always a challenge playing Roger," said Murray. "I've got the better of him on a few occasions, but in the big one we played, at the US Open final, he beat me pretty badly.

"Hopefully, I'll get him in a Grand Slam [again] one day.

"It would be nice to become the number one player in the world, but my aim for 2009 is to win a Grand Slam event, and I feel the Australian Open is my best chance.

"So this is a really nice preparation for that."

Murray will now face world number one Rafael Nadal in the final after the Spaniard came through his clash with Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-3.

Murray made a slow start to the match, dropping his serve in just the second game and allowing Federer to race into a 3-0 lead.

But he quickly found his composure, breaking back in the fifth game, whipping a forehand across court at an acute angle to deny Federer a game point before sealing the break by placing a drop shot right at the feet of his opponent.

Murray could not stick with Federer though and the world number two broke the Scot's serve again to steal the first set on a double fault.

But as is so often the case when Murray faces Federer, the 21-year-old recovered quickly from dropping the opening set and immediately took the lead in the second set.

Murray broke in the first and third games on his way to a 4-0 lead before Federer could finally get on the scoreboard.

Federer did manage to get one of the breaks back, in the seventh game, when Murray double faulted; however he dropped his serve again in the next game, throwing in a double fault of his own as well as a couple of backhand errors and a wild forehand across court.

Murray quickly levelled up the match, serving out the set after an hour and two minutes.

The start of the third set was all Murray as Federer lost concentration and dropped his serve in the third and fifth games to leave the Scot leading 4-1.

But a mistimed jump to a straightforward overhead forehand in the sixth game seemed to unsettle Murray as, despite laughing about it with the crowd, he dropped his serve in that game when Federer found a forehand volley winner. He then dropped another in the eighth when he slapped a forehand long of the baseline.

Two holds apiece later and the match went to a tie-break. Despite taking the first two points, two forehand errors in quick succession from Federer, combined with an ace out wide from Murray, allowed the Scot to take a 4-2 mini-break lead.

Another two forehand errors shortly after the change of ends from Federer gifted Murray three match points.

The first went begging when Murray hit wide off the forehand side before Federer saved the second and third, with a stunning forehand deep into his opponent's backhand corner and an easy forehand volley respectively.

But it was the forehand that let Federer down once again as he slapped wide to hand Murray a fourth match point before hitting long to concede the match.

In the other semi-final Davydenko got off to a great start, breaking Nadal in the opening game to love. But the Spaniard quickly recovered and dominated the rest of the set.

The second set went in much the same fashion, with Nadal dropping his opening service game before bouncing back to dominate.

Pippa Davis / Eurosport