MIAMI: Novak Djokovic eliminated defending champ Andy Murray in straight sets and while fifth seed Roger Federer was sent crashing out of the ATP Tour’s Miami Masters tournament in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Federer lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Japanese 20th seed Kei Nishikori who booked a semifinal showdown with former world number one Djokovic who defeated Murray 7-5, 6-3 on the hardcourts at Crandon Park.

“Kei did well to stay with me and not allow me to hold my serve,” Federer said. “He was more consistent in the second and third set and those are the ones he won. At the end it’s his credit.”

Nishikori reached his second Masters semi and first in 2 1/2 years by winning the two hour, nine minute night match.

Nishikori next faces Djokovic, who is going for back-to-back Masters titles after his triumph at Indian Wells.

They split their only two previous matches with Djokovic winning 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 at Roland Garros in 2010. They also played on the hardcourts three years ago in Switzerland where Nishikori won in three sets, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0.

Nishikori blasted six aces and won 64 percent of his first serve points against Federer. He has now won two of three career meetings against Federer. He also won their last encounter on clay in Madrid in 2013, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.

Nishikori was broken twice in the second set but managed to break right back. He tried to take advantage of Federer’s poor serving on Wednesday.

“He wasn’t making a lot of first serves today,” Nishikori said. “Maybe because of the wind.

Li Na in semis

In the women’s section, China’s Li Na rolled over Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets to reach the semifinals where she will face Dominika Cibulkova in an rematch of the Australian Open final.

Second seeded Li posted a 7-5, 7-5 win over 11th seeded Wozniacki while Cibulkova saved three match points in a gritty three-set victory, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, over third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska on the hardcourts at Crandon Park.

The 10th-seeded Cibulkova will break into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time on the strength of her victory.

“I knew before the match that this was the match I needed to win to become top 10,” Cibulkova said. “So it was some more pressure, but I’m obviously very happy with the way I handled it today.”

Cibulkova, who is in the Miami semifinals for the first time, is winless in six career meetings against Li.

Li beat Cibulkova in the Australian Open final, and also won the rematch in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells earlier this month.

“So many people think about this being a repeat of the final, but it’s not,” Li said. “Because Australia is over. It is past already. Miami is Miami. I am just looking forward for tomorrow.”

The other semifinal had already been set, with world number one and defending champion Serena Williams due to take on fourth-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova.

American Williams defeated Sharapova in last year’s final to capture a sixth Miami title, sending Sharapova to her fifth loss in five finals.

Cibulkova, who swept past Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals of the Australian Open, had a bigger fight on her hands on Wednesday on a windy Stadium Court where service holds were at a premium.