Britain's Andy Murray beat Frenchman Lucas Pouille 7-5 6-1 to reach his second Dubai Championships final.
The world number one, who was involved in a 31-minute tie-break in his quarter-final, struggled in the first set against seventh seed Pouille.
The pair broke each other twice before Murray took the set after 68 minutes with his third break.
The final set was a one-sided affair as Murray set up a meeting with Fernando Verdasco in Saturday's final.
The 33-year-old Spaniard beat Dutchman Robin Haase 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 6-1.
Murray, 29, is into his second final of the year but has never won the title in Dubai, losing to Roger Federer in his previous final appearance in 2012.