Nick Kyrgios has upset in-form Milos Raonic to march into his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Miami.
Punter's pick: Nick Kyrgios' impressive performance in Miami has left many thinking he will win a Grand Slam this year. Photo: AP
Kyrgios is also set to crack the world's top 20 and leapfrog Bernard Tomic to become Australian tennis's new No.1 following his impressive 6-4 7-6 (7-4) defeat of the power-serving Canadian on Thursday (Friday AEDT).
The straight-sets victory vaulted Kyrgios into a last-four meeting with Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori and tantalisingly close to a potential title showdown with world No.1 Novak Djokovic.
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Raonic has been one of the hottest players on tour in 2016, downing Roger Federer to win the season-opening crown in Brisbane and racking up 18 wins from 20 matches.
His only previous losses this year came against Andy Murray in a five-set Australian Open semi-final thriller and to Djokovic in the Indian Wells Masters final.
But the 12th seed was on the back foot from the outset against Kyrgios, the youngest player - at almost 21 - to ever make the semi-finals in Miami.
Kyrgios broke Raonic in the opening game of the match and consolidated for an early 2-0 lead.
Struggling with his own first serve, Kyrgios showed his mettle by fighting off two break-back points in the fourth game, one with an exquisite backhand drop volley and a second with a booming forehand winner.
And with that it ends.
Kyrgios sends Raonic packing with a 6-4, 7-6 win #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/gBk5ourAvU
He saved a further two break points before clinching the first set with a sizzling crosscourt forehand winner.
The second set was a much tighter affair, with Kyrgios holding his nerve to secure victory in a tiebreaker.
Earlier, Nishikori overcame five match points to deny Frenchman Gael Monfils 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in their quarter-final.
The 16th-seeded Monfils was soaked with sweat on a sweltering afternoon but rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the final set.
Nishikori fell behind 0-40 serving at 4-5 but erased those match points and another in that game, and overcame one more match point serving in the 12th game.
He played a solid tiebreaker and closed out the victory with a forehand winner.
Djokovic faces Belgian 15th seed David Goffin in the first semi-final on Friday (Saturday AEDT) before Kyrgios takes on Nishikori.
Agencies