Andy Murray swept aside any doubts as to who will start the Australian Open as the world's most in-form player when he beat Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Qatar Open in Doha yesterday.

Murray, who won 6-7, 6-2, 6-2, faces Andy Roddick in today's final as he attempts to complete the successful defence of the first of the five titles he won last year.

After winning more world ranking points than any other player in the second half of last year, Murray has carried on where he left off. Having beaten Federer and Rafael Nadal, the world's top two players, on his way to victory in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi last week, he has now underlined his hold over the opponent he considers the greatest in history.

Poor Federer must be sick of the sight him. Since the Swiss beat Murray in the US Open final in September they have met three times in competitive matches and the 21-year-old Scot has won on each occasion. He has now won five of their last six matches.

This was the only competitive tournament both men will play before the Australian Open starts in nine days' time and Murray will head for the year's first Grand Slam event knowing he is in better form than all three players above him in the rankings. Earlier this week Nadal, the world No 1, was beaten by Gaël Monfils in Doha, while Novak Djokovic, the No 3, lost to Ernests Gulbis in Brisbane. Djokovic is so desperate for match practice that he requested and received a wild card to play in Sydney next week.

Although he needed three sets and more than two hours to beat Federer, this was an emphatic victory for Murray. The world No 4 did not lose his serve once, had only three break points against him and dropped just eight out of 65 points on first serve.

There were no breaks in the first set and indeed only one break point, which Federer saved with a thumping forehand winner. Federer hit six aces in the set, while Murray dropped just two out of 27 points on first serve. The former world No 1 took the tie-break8-6, but only after letting slip a 4-1 lead and having to save a set point at 5-6 with a smart backhand volley.

From 2-2 in the second set Murray took charge and lost only two more games. The British No 1 hit a barrage of winners from all parts of the court and maintained his domination even after calling for the trainer to have his back massaged at 2-1 in the decider. Federer, in contrast, faded quickly and the match ended when he put a routine overhead into the net.

In the other semi-final Roddick beat Monfils 7-6, 3-6, 6-3. Monfils appeared to have a back problem and could not rediscover his brilliant form of the previous day, when he had beaten Nadal, although he played a fine second set. The Frenchman recovered from an early break in the decider, but dropped his serve again to trail 5-3 and Roddick served out for the match.

Roddick, 26, is No 8 in the world rankings but has won only one title in the last 11 months, at an event in Beijing where he did not face a player inside the world's top 40. Murray has won five of their seven meetings, the most recent over three sets at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai two months ago.

Anne Keothavong, Britain's other No 1, went down fighting in an attempt to reach her first final on the main women's tour. Elena Vesnina won their Auckland Classic semi-final in New Zealand 6-7, 6-1, 7-5 after a match lasting nearly three hours. Already at a career-high No 60 in the world rankings, Keothavong will make further progress in next week's updated list.

The 25-year-old from Hackney, who came back from 5-3 down to take the first set, saved four match points when Vesnina served at 6-5 in the decider and then had two break points of her own, but the Russian held on and eventually won the match with an ace. In the other semi-final Vesnina's doubles partner, Elena Dementieva, needed just over an hour to beat Aravane Rezai 6-2, 6-2.

''I'm obviously really disappointed about today's result but I'm not going to beat myself up about it,'' Keothavong said. ''It was a big match for both of us for a place in the final and I guess there were a lot of nerves out there. I got quite emotional because I wanted it badly.''