Defending champion Andy Murray beat Roger Federer 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-2 yesterday to reach the final of the Qatar Open, his fourth straight win over the former top-ranked player.

Murray, who improved his career record against Federer to 5-2 in tour matches, will face Andy Roddick in today's final.

"It is good to have beaten him (Federer)," Murray said. "He is an awesome player, arguably the greatest player of all time. So, I am happy about my performance today. ... The first set was very tight as the tiebreak was bit of a back-and-forth thing for both of us. I lost that and all of a sudden there was a lot of pressure on me."

Since losing to Federer in the US Open final, the fourth-ranked Murray beat the Swiss star at the Madrid Masters in October, the Masters Cup in Shanghai in November and an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi last week.

"It is disappointing to lose after the first set when things were going my way," Federer said. "I just couldn't give the knockout punch. But it is not a big thing. Andy is a tough player against me. I hope when big matches come, I beat him."

Federer has 13 Grand Slam titles, one short of Pete Sampras' record, heading into the Australian Open later this month.