Andy Murray makes St. Petersburg semis

Andy Murray recorded a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 victory over Janko Tipsarevic during Friday's quarterfinals at the St. Petersburg Open tennis tournament in Russia.

The native of Dunblane, Scotland -- one of the most improved players on the men's tennis tour and the tournament's defending champion -- has lost just once in his last 15 matches, falling to Roger Federer at the U.S. Open final in September.

Murray bounced back Friday after losing a first-set tiebreaker, and held serve at 5-5 in the second.

He will play Spain's Fernando Verdasco, the third seed, Saturday in a re-match of last year's final. Verdasco topped Germany's Rainer Schuettler 7-5, 6-2.

In Friday's other quarters, both battles between non-seeds, Romania's Victor Hanescu belted Russian Michail Elgin 6-1, 6-4 and Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev beat Germany's Mischa Zverev 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

Hanescu faces Golubev in Saturday's other semifinal.

Sunday's champion will earn a $171,000 winner's check.