Stan Wawrinka progressed to the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Friday as Nick Kyrgios retired with a back injury in their first match since a controversial meeting at the Rogers Cup in August.

Kyrgios was hit with a $10,000 fine by the ATP following a second-round meeting with Wawrinka in Toronto, which he won after the Swiss retired in the third set.

The Australian was caught on microphone telling his opponent that fellow professional Thanasi Kokkinakis had slept with the Swiss player's girlfriend.

He was later hit with a suspended 28-day ban and a $25,000 fine for his actions.

Kyrgios, having won his first ATP tour title at the Open 13 in Marseille last weekend, saw his serve hampered by the back problem as Wawrinka was handed victory while leading 6-4 3-0 in the second set. 

"I couldn't really serve anywhere near my full capacity today," explained Kyrgios. "He was playing great, anyway. He was playing really aggressive off the second shot of his serve."

Wawrinka will attempt to win his 13th tour-level title in the final and will take on Marcos Baghdatis after the Cypriot came from behind to surprise sixth seed Feliciano Lopez.

Having lost the first set and surrendered a 3-0 lead in the second, Baghdatis dominated matters in the subsequent tie-break and the decider to claim a 3-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 triumph.

Baghdatis said: "It's been a long road for me the past three, four years. It's all about fighting, getting back to where I want to be. Last year we set some goals to be top 50 with my team. I achieved that.

"He [Lopez] was the better player I think [in] the first two sets. He couldn't hold his nerves. End of the second he was a break up at 4-3, and serving with new balls he couldn't hold his nerves."