Roger Federer, Roger Federer vs Nick Kyrgios live stream
Mar 15, 2017; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Roger Federer (SUI) as he defeated Rafael Nadal in their fourth round match in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Federer won 6-2, 6-3. USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Roger Federer (9) and Nick Kyrgios (15) will lock horns during the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells on Friday afternoon. It will be only their second meeting since the first encounter at the 2015 Madrid Open when the temperamental Australian gets the better of the Swiss Master in a third-set tiebreaker.

While Kyrgios is fresh off the biggest victory of his career, a 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over Novak Djokovic in the fourth round, Federer breezed past archrival Rafael Nadal in just 68 minutes on Wednesday to set up a clash with the 21-year-old Aussie. According to several analysts, Kyrgios has the ability to win multiple Grand Slam titles only if he could overcome his mental problems that have resulted in numerous suspensions and fines.

Former American tennis star Brad Gilbert, who now works as an analyst for ESPN, believes Kyrgios' talents aren't being fully utilised. "I just sit there and watch him and just marvel and his athleticism. I can't believe for his size how well he can move, how explosive. He ticks all the boxes for me game-wise. But just there's sometimes more to winning Slams and being great than just that," he said.

Nick Kyrgios ready for the big moment

Kyrgios idolised Federer as a teenager but isn't putting extra pressure on himself ahead of Friday's showdown. "It's just another match for me. I have to get ready for tomorrow. I am serving really well -- that is creating chances for me to put pressure on their service games. My mentality is improving, and I am trying really hard to fight for every point and just compete," the Aussie told reporters on Thursday.

Federer acknowledges that Kyrgios' game is similar to his own, and doesn't rule out the possibility of the Aussie winning a Grand Slam down the road. “I feel like Nick and me, we have a lot of options, so it’s hard for us to always pick the right one. I was 22 when I won my first major; he’s (Kyrgios) still got time," Federer said, before highlighting the reason for his recent success against Nadal. "He’s (My father) basically was the first guy to tell me, ‘Hit the backhand, damn it, don’t just hold back and slice all the time. As a kid, I used to always slice.” Federer's backhand proved too much for Nadal on Wednesday, an anti-climax after many years of the Spaniard dominating the Swiss with his powerful forehand.

Roger Federer vs Nick Kyrgios live stream info:

Date: Friday, March 15, 2017
Start Time: 12:00 p.m. (ET), 3:00 p.m. (PT), 2:00 a.m. (AEST) on Saturday, 3:00 a.m. (AEDT)
On TV: Tennis Channel (USA), ESPN 2 (Australia), Tennis TV (Global)
Live Stream: ESPN3 (USA), WatchESPN (Australia)

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