ATP Malaysian Open: Kei Nishikori sets up semi-final meeting with Jarkko Nieminen

Top seed Kei Nishikori maintained his fine run of form as he swept into the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.

The US Open finalist - who is looking to book his place at the ATP Tour Finals in London in November - needed just over an hour to dispatch Australia's Marinko Matosevic 6-3 6-0.

I am trying to play an aggressive game, especially on this court because the ball movement is slow, so I try to take the returns as early as possible.

Even Nishikori appeared surprised with the easy victory in front of a 2,000-strong crowd at the Putra Stadium.

"I was expecting a tough match actually. He beat Nick (Kyrgios of Australia) and Go (Soeda of Japan) and was playing really well," he said.

"But I have been playing well too, and he was struggling in the second set so I tried to raise my game level and finish the game early.

"I am trying to play an aggressive game, especially on this court because the ball movement is slow, so I try to take the returns as early as possible."

Nieminen next

Next up for Nishikori is Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen, who continued his own excellent run by surprising Spanish seventh seed Pablo Andujar 6-3 6-4.

Latvia's Ernests Gulbis hit 12 aces as he also booked his place in the last four with a 6-3 7-5 win over Germany's Benjamin Becker.

"Today was much better," second seed Gulbis said. "When I broke him in the second set, I played three unbelievable points. I'm finding my game."

In the last four the French Open semi-finalist Gulbis will take on Frenchman Julien Benneteau, who is bidding to reach the final in Kuala Lumpur for the third straight year, although he has yet to win an ATP singles title.

Fourth-seeded Benneteau was forced to fight for victory against Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas before coming through 6-3 6-7 (7-3) 6-4 in two hours and 19 minutes.