South African star Lloyd Harris continued his rapid rise up the global ladder on Thursday, securing another spectacular victory over Japanese player Kei Nishikori at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
After defeating top seed Dominic Thiem of Austria in the second round, Harris went on to sweep aside former US Open finalist and Olympic bronze medallist Nishikori in the quarter-finals.
Though Nishikori fought back in the second set, Harris held his nerve to earn a convincing 6-1 3-6 6-3 win.
The 24-year-old South African will have another opportunity for a career breakthrough in the next round, as he goes in search of a place in his first ATP 500 series final.
He faces third seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada in the semifinals, for a place in this weekend's trophy contest.
"I'm really happy to get these big wins under my belt, and I'm looking to keep building on this confidence, keep improving on my game and playing better tennis," Harris said after the match.
"It's been a fantastic week so far. I've been playing some high-quality tennis, and it's been a lot of matches, but I'm not over the finish line just yet.
"Hopefully, there are two more matches to go, and I've just got to keep pushing."