Top seed Novak Djokovic overcame a strong challenge from Belgium's David Goffin to reach the Miami Open final with a 7-6(5) 6-4 victory on Friday as he continued his pursuit of a fifth title in six years on Key Biscayne.
The Serbian world number one shrugged off a slow start to the match before hitting his stride, and sealed the win with a powerful first serve that forced a wayward Goffin return to end an encounter that lasted just over two hours.
Australian Open champion Djokovic improved his stellar record for the year to 27-1 and will next face either Japan's Kei Nishikori or Australian Nick Kyrgios, who were scheduled to play their semi-final later on Friday.
The 28-year-old Djokovic, a five-times champion in Miami, is bidding to match Andre Agassi's record of six titles at the event and earn a record 28th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown.
Djokovic and Goffin traded service breaks in the seventh and eighth games of the match before taking a marathon opening set into a tiebreak which the Serb clinched 7-5 after his opponent, reaching high for a lob, hit a backhand volley into the net.
The second set went with serve until the seventh game when the 15th-seeded Goffin hit a forehand long before netting a backhand to be broken and trail 3-4.
Djokovic then comfortably served out to book his place in Sunday's final at Crandon Park where he will seek to add another Miami Open crown to his previous titles in 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014 and last year.
Reuters