World number one Novak Djokovic produced a flawless performance as he edged past arch-rival Rafael Nadal to reach the finals of the BNP Paribas Open for the fifth time here on Sunday.
The 28-year-old, however, had to strive hard to earn this victory as he made 29 unforced errors before eventually overcoming Nadal 7-6(5), 6-2 in a thrilling semi-final contest that lasted for about two hours.
The pair's 48th meeting saw Djokovic rallied from an early break down before getting the better of the fifth ranked player in the subsequent tie-breaker to claim 25th victory over his Spaniard.
With the win, Djokovic has now set up summit showdown against Milos Raonic, who has been beaten by the Serbian in all five previous encounters.
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