Federer wins easily to reach Indian Wells final

INDIAN WELLS, California: Roger Federer beat Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-3, 6-1 on Saturday to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open, a title the former top-ranked player has won four times.

Federer was coolly efficient on a hot day in the desert, firing seven aces and connecting on 72 percent of his first serves in the match that lasted barely an hour.

Novak Djokovic played American John Isner in the late semifinal.No. 2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska will play Flavia Pennetta in the women´s final on Sunday.

Federer will try to win his second title of the year in the men´s final. He´s coming off a victory two weeks ago at Dubai, and his 19-2 match record this year is his best start since he began 23-2 two years ago.

He won at Indian Wells from 2004-06 and again in 2012.A year ago at Indian Wells, Federer injured his back during a match and took nearly a month to feel better. After Wimbledon, he re-injured his back and found himself questioning everything, leading to an uneven year for the sport´s once dominant player. (AP)