Australian Davis Cup heroes Bernard Tomic and Thanasi Kokkinakis will clash for a likely quarter-final shot at world No.1 Novak Djokovic after posting watershed wins at the Indian Wells Masters.
Tomic upset eighth seed David Ferrer 7-5 6-4 on Tuesday for his first win in four meetings with the former French Open finalist to continue his surge back towards his career-best ranking of three years ago.
Kokkinakis's gritty 6-2 5-7 7-6 (7-5) victory over Juan Monaco was no less significant for the rising teenager.
It was the 18-year-old's fourth top-50 scalp of 2015 and all but guaranteed Kokkinakis a place in the world's top 100 and, with that status, direct entry into the grand slams for the first time.
Kokkinakis fell to the ground and pounded his chest after finally converting on his third match point.
"Tiring, but I'm more happy than anything," Kokkinakis said. "Relieved as well. I made life difficult for myself, but he made it difficult for me, too.
"But I'm happy to get through."
Tomic outclassed Kokkinakis in straight sets in their only previous match-up, in Brisbane in January, before the two young guns starred with vital singles wins in Australia's Davis Cup defeat of the top-seeded Czech Republic in Ostrava earlier this month.
Currently ranked 124th, Kokkinakis soared more than 450 spots last year to finish as one of four teenagers in the top 150.
He and Wimbledon quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios were the first teenage duo from the same country to finish a season in the top 150 since exciting Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils in 2005.
But while the 37th-ranked Kyrgios on Tuesday revealed he'd be sidelined for up to a month with an ankle injury, Kokkinakis was eyeing revenge against Tomic.
"Obviously I really want to win this next match, and it would be huge for me to make a quarter-final," Kokkinakis said after becoming the first teenager to reach the last 16 at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event since Tomic in Cincinnati in 2012.
Sitting just eight spots below his career-high ranking of 27th after a blazing start to 2015, Tomic took down Ferrer in 98 minutes.
Against Kokkinakis, Tomic will be bidding for a sixth quarter-final spot from seven tournaments this season.
Either way, an Australian will likely be playing Djokovic for a semi-final berth after the defending champion beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5 6-3 to set up a last-eight meeting with 16th seed John Isner.
Kyrgios rolled his ankle late in his 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 7-6 (7-4) second-round loss to Grigor Dimitrov.
Scans have since confirmed the 19-year-old is no chance of backing up for the Miami Masters starting next Tuesday.
"Bad news guys, I have damaged ligaments in my foot & will be out for at least 2-4 weeks which means no Miami for me this year," Kyrgios tweeted just two matches into his comeback from a month out with a back injury.
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