ATP Tokyo: Andy Murray vs. David Ferrer

Andy Murray plays close rival David Ferrer in the last four of the Japan Open on Saturday.

Murray ground out a tight 6-4, 7-5 win over David Nalbandian in Friday's quarter-finals, missing opportunities to serve for the match before eventually booking a place in the semis. Murray is in fine form after picking up the Thailand Open title last week but he knows he has his work cut out on Saturday.

"I will try and get a good night's sleep, get some food in me and have a massage before bed. Ferrer is a very tough opponent," Murray said. "He has been in the Top 10 for a very long time and is playing some of the best tennis of his career. I had a great match with him in Australia. Rallies are always long and I'll have to be ready for to fight."

Ferrer himself moved a step closer to qualification for the ATP World Finals with a straightforward 6-2, 7-6(3) win over Czech Radek Stepanek.

Murray is 3-3 on head-to-heads with Ferrer but he's won the last two, 6-2, 6-2 in the ATP World Finals last autumn and most importantly 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-1, 7-6(2) in the Aussie Open semis earlier this year.