Dubai: Novak Djokovic reached the Dubai Championships final for the third straight year on Friday, defeating a hobbling Tomas Berdych who retired with a leg injury while trailing 6-7 (5), 6-2, 4-2.
Berdych received medical treatment on his left thigh muscle during the match.
Djokovic dropped the first set after committing a series of unforced errors, while Berdych's strong serve produced eight aces. Djokovic found his game in the second set and Berdych began to show signs of the leg injury.
Djokovic is the two-time defending champion at Dubai. He'll face either Roger Federer or Richard Gasquet in the final.
Berdych said the injury hampered his serve.
"The problem was my left quadriceps," he said. "Was not able just to serve, move to the sides."
Djokovic, who had beaten Berdych at the Australian Open quarterfinals on his way to winning his second Grand Slam title, said it was the ‘worst’ he played this year. He holds a 6-1 record against Berdych, his only loss in Wimbledon semifinal last year.
Djokovic said his consistent serve and better conditioning allowed him to get through the match.
The Serb said he doubted his win against Federer in the Australian Open semifinal would give him much of an edge.
"Yeah, but it's only one match," Djokovic said. "I lost maybe three times before that to him. So I don't think that he will think too much about that match, because he hasn't lost that often in the last five, six years in Grand Slams.”
"We know each other really well. We know each other's game. Mostly in last three, four years we had matches in semis or finals. It's always high stake and big challenge."