Roger Federer ready for Novak Djokovic after ousting Andy Murray

(Getty Images)

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will steel themselves for a final effort tonight as they compete for the regular season's last prize at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

The top two players in the world are the final men standing at London's O2 Arena after Djokovic defeated Juan Martin Del Potro and Federer saw off US Open champion Andy Murray.

Federer has ruled the roost since the tournament moved to London in 2009 and will aim to make it a hat-trick of titles while Djokovic was the champion in 2008 in Shanghai but has not reached the final since.

The world number one trails in their head-to-head 16-12 and has lost the last two meetings, at Wimbledon and in Cincinnati in August, but he is the only unbeaten player at the O2 this week and victory tonight would guarantee him prize money of 1,760,000 US dollars.

Federer said: "I love playing against Novak. He's had a great year. He's had a great tournament so far.

"I think for both of us it's pretty straightforward. We've got to press out the last juice that's left in our body and make it a successful year end, even though it's been successful for everybody who has been taking part in this tournament.

"But it is a big opportunity playing the last match of the season and facing off against Novak obviously is always special, especially here at the World Tour Finals."

Djokovic looked in real trouble at a set and a break down against Del Potro but he turned things around quickly and won 11 of the last 14 games in a 4-6 6-3 6-2 victory.

The world number one said of tonight's final: "I'm really looking forward to it. It's already a great success but knowing it's the last match of the season, I'm really going to try to give my best physically and mentally to try to get the trophy.

"It's going to be very open. I think there is not really any predictions about who's going to win. Very few points will decide the winner."

It was a disappointing way to end a remarkable season for Murray, who made a great start but faded to a 7-6 (7/5) 6-2 defeat in front of a home crowd that indisputably favoured his opponent.

The world number three was determined to see the positive side, though, saying: "It's been the best year of my career by a mile.

"So why I would look back on that negatively now? [It] would be silly because I've achieved things I've never achieved before."

It was also the end of the road for Britain's Wimbledon champion Jonny Marray, who lost in the semi-finals of the doubles with Dane Freddie Nielsen to Spanish pair Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez.

PA