INDIAN WELLS, California: Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic outlasted Roger Federer 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to stay undefeated this season and reach the BNP Paribas Open final while knocking the Swiss star from the No. 2 spot in the world Saturday. Djokovic and Federer will switch spots when the rankings are updated Monday, with the Serbian moving up to No. 2 and Federer slipping to third with an 18-3 mark this season. All three of his losses have been against Djokovic, who is 17-0. Neither of them had lost a set in reaching the semifinals, although Federer had a tougher time, dropping 29 games in eight sets, while Djokovic had lost just 12 games in eight sets – the fewest games lost in four matches in a Masters tournament since 1990. Djokovic will play top-ranked Rafael Nadal in Sunday's final. Nadal rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the first set to beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4, ending a three-match losing streak to him. Nadal improved to 31-4 all-time at Indian Wells, where he won titles in 2007 and ‘09. It was the third time in 25 years at Indian Wells that the world's top three men reached the semifinals. On the women's side, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki plays 15th-seeded Marion Bartoli in Sunday's final. Sania Mirza of India and Russian Elena Vesnina defeated eighth-seeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Meghann Shaughnessy 6-0, 7-5 to win the women's doubles title in their third tournament together. Federer became just the fourth player to take a set off Djokovic this year when he won the second. Federer lost to him in straight sets in the Australian Open semifinals and in the Dubai final this year. “My approach to the matches against Roger is maybe different than it was in the past two years. Right now I kind of have more self-belief when I step on the court against him,” Djokovic said. “Before it was, ‘Let's hope that I can play well.”' “When you have the chance, you better use it because he can come back easily. I could feel that.” “I had my chances. I know I wasn't far away at all because I really had him going,” Federer said. “I guess he escaped. I guess confidence is a big thing for him at the moment.” Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine and Belgian Xavier Malisse defeated Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-7 in the men's doubles final.
