Murray to face Ferrer in final

Defending champion Andy Murray powered through to the Shanghai Masters final after a commanding performance saw him brush aside Japan's Kei Nishikori.

The number two seed will face Spain's David Ferrer on Sunday, looking to secure a title for the third week in a row.

Murray, enjoying a superb run in Asia, will be out to add to his titles from Bangkok and Tokyo after a 6-3 6-0 demolition of unseeded Nishikori.

They shared the opening six games, but thereafter Murray was merciless as he closed in on a fifth title in 2011.

Once he got ahead, Murray made sure it stayed that way. He broke Nishikori's serve to love in the ninth game to capture the opening set, forcing successive forehand errors from his opponent.

Dressed in all black, Murray broke in the second game of the second set with a flowing forehand pass down the line.

He was then taken all the way to deuce by Nishikori, but a drop shot won Murray the game.

Nishikori continued to dish up break points and his opponent fed on the openings.

A drilled backhand down the line took Murray 4-0 ahead and there was no way back for the 21-year-old from Shimane, who was facing the world number four for the first time.

Earlier in the day, third seed Ferrer beat his fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 6-3.