Rod Laver Arena/Melbourne Park, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia, 30 April 2016 | AAP

Nick Kyrgios needed three match points on Friday to finish off a 6-4 6-4 win over ATP next-gen rival Borna Coric to reach a second straight semi-final at the Estoril Open.

Kyrgios, a losing finalist a year ago at the event to France’s Richard Gasquet, sent over his 10th ace in a 69-minute outing to earn a pair of match points.

Croatian Coric, 19, saved both before falling on the Australian’s third chance.

Kyrgios will on Saturday play Spanish clay threat Nicolas Almagro, who defeated seventh seed Leonardo Mayer 6-4 7-6 (7-5).

Eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta put a Spaniard into the semis with a 6-3 6-4 upset over French top seed Gilles Simon.