Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic win Indian Wells quarter-finals

Rafael Nadal will play Novak Djokovic in the Indian Wells semi-final after they picked up victories in the last eight on Friday.

Nadal delivered a reminder of his qualities with a straight sets win against Kei Nishikori before Djokovic needed all his fighting spirit to win consecutive tie-breaks against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Nadal was expected to be given a rigorous test by the world No 6 but Nadal recovered from an early break disadvantage to seal a semi-final spot in California with a 6-4 6-3 win.

Nishikori, who beat Nadal in 2015 but otherwise is on the wrong side of a 1-8 head-to-head record, got off to the quickest start. He broke at the earliest opportunity then opened a further two break points, sending alarm bells ringing for Nadal.

But the world No 5 responded with the sort of vigour that has earned him 14 Grand Slams. He saved both break points, then defeated the Nishikori serve, and found himself 4-3 ahead. At 5-4, Nadal guided a glorious forehand winner down the line before edging an athletic exchange at the net to secure a set-winning break.

Japan's top player continued to falter with the ball in hand, conceding his serve immediately at the restart, enabling Nadal to edge into a three-game lead without much stress. Nishikori's quality eventually told when saving further break points and limiting the damaging to 2-4 in the Spaniard's favour.

Nishikori finally secured the break he required but immediately ceded the advantage back to Nadal, who swept through the Japanese serve with ease before taking match point with a forehand winner.

He will be joined by Djokovic who was pushed to his limits by world No 9 Tsonga but won 7-6 7-6.

The world No 1 broke early with a sensational lob but things would only get harder, as his French opponent also showed a propensity to break serve in the opening set.

Tsonga was just two points from taking the opener but Djokovic fought him off, and they duked out a tie-break. In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Djokovic contested a point that the umpire awarded him and confessed he had touched an awry ball. The Serb still did enough to win 7-2.

The second-set tie-break was won by the same margin as Djokovic's quality eventually told, extending his head-to-head record with Tsonga to 15-6.

Milos Raonic will take on David Goffin in the other Indian Wells semi-final.