Rafael Nadal quelled the challenge of a typically combustible Nick Kyrgios to reach the BNP Paribas Open semi-finals with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-4 win, as the Australian’s on-court behaviour again came under scrutiny.
Nadal, the world No 4, kept his cool in the heat of the Californian desert to advance to the semis of the event regarded as the tennis calendar’s “fifth grand slam”. Meanwhile, Kyrgios struggled to control his temper and allowed repeated interruptions from the crowd to get under his skin.
