The 30-year-old Federer required just 69 minutes to dismiss the No. 34-ranked Youzhny, a recent winner at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors (d. Lacko). The Swiss converted two of the 11 break points he created and won 74 per cent of points on his serve.
"I thought on my serve I was doing many of the right things," reflected Federer. "It's quick out there, so you got to be really focussed. He was obviously taking a lot chances for one set and a half. Maybe his energy wasn't quite up. At the end he really got pumped up a bit, but it was almost too late for him."
Federer is chasing a fifth title at the ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tennis tournament. He triumphed from 2003-2005 and again in 2007; he was runner-up to Rafael Nadal in 2006 and against Novak Djokovic last year.
The Basel native has opened the 2012 ATP World Tour season with a 14-2 match record and came into Dubai after winning his 71st tour-level title at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.
For a place in the final, he will face either Juan Martin del Potro, whom he defeated in the Rotterdam final, or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
"It's first strike tennis here," said Federer. "They're some of the best players in the game who can smack the ball from mid court, and they both have an amazing first serve. So going to be a tough match regardless who I'm going to play."
Date: 01.03.2012, Source: ATP
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