Andy Murray and Dan Evans kept the prospect of an all-British Sydney International final alive with their quarter-final wins on Thursday.
After seeing off Viktor Durasovic and Nikoloz Basilashvili - whom he will face in round one of the Australian Open - Murray stormed out of the blocks to take a 6-2 first-set win over David Goffin in his quarter-final.
However, Belgium's Goffin was struggling with a knee injury throughout the encounter and was ultimately forced to retire, with Murray wishing his opponent well following the walkover win.
"He's missed the last eight months with injury. I believe he had surgery on the elbow. It sucks. The injuries and stuff, as you get older really they can get you down a little bit, but hopefully, he's ok," Murray told the press.
"The movement was what I was most pleased with, maybe made a few more errors than I would have liked today, but I thought I moved well."
Despite posting just two aces compared to Maxime Cressy's 11, Dan Evans was on song against his American opponent in the last quarter-final, taking a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) win to advance to the final four.
Having been kept apart in the tournament, Murray will take on 6ft 11in American Reilly Opelka for a spot in the final, whereas Evans will pit his wits against top seed Aslan Karatsev.
Ben Knapton
