Key Biscayne, March 31:

Best known as Roger Federer’s new nemesis, Guillermo Canas may soon have another honorific: Sony Ericsson Open champion. The Argentine advanced to the final with another hustling performance, beating Ivan Ljubicic 7-5, 6-2.

The first qualifier ever to reach the men’s final at Key Biscayne, Canas won the same way he did in the fourth round against Federer — with dogged defense and steady shotmaking that repeatedly forced his opponent to hit another shot. On Sunday, the 29-year-old Canas will play Novak Djokovic, who swept the final 11 games to beat Andy Murray 6-1, 6-0.

Once ranked eighth by the ATP, Canas began the year 143rd after returning in September from a 15-month doping suspension. On Tuesday he beat the top-ranked Federer for the second time this month, and he’ll move back into the top 35 next week.

Hardly flashy but solid from the baseline, Canas has won by playing the big points well. While Ljubicic went 0-for-7 on break-point chances, Canas converted 3-of-3. Playing on a windy night, he committed only 12 unforced errors in 121 points, while Ljubicic had 27. The 10th-seeded Djokovic is a rising star, with 23 victories this year to tie Murray for the ATP Tour lead. The slender Serbian wields a big serve and forehand but also has a deft touch, to Murray’s dismay. He won at least 10 points with drop shots — sliced floaters that landed softly just over the net. Murray frantically chased them, once nearly impaling himself on the net post.

Murray lost his final five service games, missing on 59 percent of his first serve, and hit only one winner in the first set. Djokovic beat Murray for the second time in two weeks. When the two 19-year-olds met in the semi-finals at Indian Wells, Murray won five games. The 12th-seeded Murray has been bothered by a sore groin but declined to blame it for his defeat.