Federer sets up Nadal Miami final

Roger Federer will face Rafael Nadal in the final of the Miami Open after he won a thrilling semi-final against Nick Kyrgios.

The Swiss legend continued his stunning 2017 form by seeing off the Australian in a gripping clash 7-6 (11-9) 6-7 (9-11) 7-6 (7-5).

Nadal booked his place with a straightforward 6-1 7-5 victory over Fabio Fognini in the other semi and will aim to get some measure of revenge on his eternal rival after Federer edged a dramatic five-set Australian Open final in January.

Playing in front of a home crowd which made clear their support for Federer, Kyrgios managed to push the 35-year-old all the way, eventually succumbing in the third consecutive tie-breaker.

The temperamental youngster was visibly distracted by the boisterous crowd at key moments in the game, shouting at fans on a couple of occasions while his racquet was smashed against the floor more than once too, finally splitting into a few pieces after Federer sealed the win.

"It felt very good," Federer said afterwards about the victory. "You don't very often play three breakers in a match. 

"Winning breakers is always such a thrill. I tried to really fight for it. I can't always show my fighting skills, it is great winning this way."

Kyrgios meanwhile was philosophical about his excellent performance and narrow defeat.

"I had some ups and downs, bit of a rollercoaster," he said. "Ultimately I think I put in a good performance. I thought the crowd would've enjoyed watching it, people at home would've enjoyed watching it.

"But I wouldn't be surprised if they found something bad, though."

Image: Getty/Julian Finney

Leinster's European Champions Cup quarter-final against Wasps on Saturday is live on BT Sport 2, which is available as part of the eir Sport pack.