Kei Nishikori sets up Nick Kyrgios semi-final in Miami

Kei Nishikori staved off five match points en route to reaching the last four of the Miami Open with a three-set victory over Frenchman of Gael Monfils.

The No 6 seed triumphed 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7/3) in two hours and 32 minutes, but admitted he thought the game was up when trailing 4-5 0-40 in the deciding set.

The 26-year-old said: "When I was down love-40, I thought it was going to be it. It was going to be tough to come back. I tried to play one point at time.

"I then saw that he was down a little bit in the tie-break, so I tried to be focused. I did pretty well in the tie-break."

Monfils fired 14 aces, to three by his opponent, but was unable to wear down the 2014 US Open runner-up.

Nishikori repelled four match points in the decisive 10th game, plus another one at 5-6, to set up a semi-final clash with young Australian Nick Kyrgios who reached the last four of a Masters Series event for the first time with a win over Milos Raonic.

The 20-year-old from Canberra won 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in a match that yielded just a single break of serve.

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That arrived in the opening game of the contest, after which both players successfully saved five match points on their own serve.

And on Monday, Kyrgios will become the youngest player to reach the world's top 20 since 2009. He admitted: "It's pretty cool. I'm happy with that. But there's 19 guys in front of me."

As for facing Nishikori, Kyrgios added: "It's exciting to play one of the best players in the world. He has got an unbelievable return of serve, moves unbelievably fast. It's going to be a tough match."

Nishikori, who won their only previous meeting in Shanghai last year, said of Friday's clash: "I have to return well whenever possible to get on his serve. That's going to be the key for sure."

Novak Djokovic and David Goffin meet in the other semi-final in Florida.