Rafael Nadal keeps cool to down combustible Kyrgios in Indian Wells quarter-finals

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 at the Indian Wells Masters tournament.

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 “fifth grand slam”. Meanwhile, Kyrgios struggled to control his temper and allowed repeated interruptions from the crowd to get under his skin.

Kyrgios’s concentration was disrupted on several occasions as he became visibly and audibly riled by the noise from the stands. At one point, the Australian dragged the watching Hollywood actor Ben Stiller into the drama, pointing at the Zoolander star and asking a member of the crowd: “Do I tell him how to act?”.

Soon after, having being broken in the seventh game of the third set, Kyrgios’s temper flared again and at the change of ends he pleaded with the chair umpire, Carlos Bernardes, to do more to keep the boisterous crowd quiet during points.

“How long you going to let that shit go on for?” Kyrgios said. “How long bro? How long? If you did something about it before now it wouldn’t have happened. Look at the score, look at it. Over and over and over again they’re doing it. Unbelievable job controlling the crowd.”