Tournament second-seed and local favourite Cameron Norrie looms as the big fish left in the ASB Classic, as the only seeded player to reach the final four.
As the only seeded player remaining, Norrie sealed his place in the final four courtesy of a three set victory over American Marcos Giron in front of a full house on centre court.
Despite playing under the flag of Great Britain, 27-year-old Norrie was raised in Auckland, with local fans getting behind the Bucklands Beach junior.
In a dominant start, Norrie took the opening set 6-1, but was made to work for his place in the last four.
But even as Giron took the second set in a tiebreak to force a third, the former Kiwi found his rhythm again, winning the decider 6-2 to reach the semi-finals.
Norrie has the chance to go one better than his previous best at the ASB Classic, where he was beaten in straight sets by American Tennys Sandgren in the 2019 final.
If he's to reach a place in his second ASB Classic final, Norrie will need to get past American Jenson Brooksby.
While fortunate to reach the semi-finals after a walkover victory against third seed Diego Schwartzman, unseeded Brooksby showed he's the real deal with a straight sets victory in his quarter-final.
In a contest that lasted just shy of two hours, Brooksby took a straight sets victory over France's Quentin Halys - albeit with both sets needing to be decided by tie break.
The 22-year-old will have his work cut out for him though, up against the tournament's highest ranked played if he's to reach the final.
In the night session, 36-year-old Richard Gasquet completed a stunning comeback to reach the semi-finals in three sets.
Up against Belgium's David Goffin, Frenchman Gasquet won both of the next two sets 6-1, breaking serve six times across the match.
Gasquet will meet Constant Lestienne in an all-French affair in the final four, after a near three hour epic on centre court.
After dropping the first set 2-6 to Serbia's Laslo Djere, Lestienne saved match point and overcame a shoulder injury to outlast his opponent.
Lestienne took the second set in a tie break, before holding out to win the decider 7-5 and reach only his second career semi-final.
But after the match lasted into the early hours of Friday morning, Lestienne faces a short turnaround for his semi-final clash.
In the doubles, Kiwi Michael Venus and partner Jamie Murray were also handed a surprise defeat, upset by American pair Jackson Withrow and Nathaniel Lammons in three sets in the round of 16.
As tournament fourth seeds, Venus and Murray were made to work for the opening set, eventually taking it 7-6 in a tiebreak.
But from there, Withrow and Lammons took the second set 6-4, and the third 12-10 in a deciding super tiebreak.
