Kyrgios two wins from defending title

In Saturday's semi-final he will face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who thumped compatriot Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-1.

"I thought I served and returned really well today," said Kyrgios. "All that matters is that I'm going out there and playing every point hard.

"I think I'm pretty aggressive on my returns, particularly here where I'm trying to get in the first big hit."

A year ago, Kyrgios beat Marin Cilic in the final.

Tsonga came through a quarter-final between two twice former winners thanks to converting four of seven break points.

The 31-year-old, on a seven-match winning streak, is bidding to win a second tournament in successive weeks after triumphing in Rotterdam last week.