French Open champion Stan Wawrinka reached the Dubai Tennis Championships semi-finals on Thursday where he will face brash Australian Nick Kyrgios in their first meeting since their infamous duel in Canada last year.
Wawrinka saw off Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 6-1 while Kyrgios stunned third-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4.
When the pair met in Montreal last August, Kyrgios was widely lambasted for making crude sexual remarks on-court concerning Wawrinka's girlfriend Donna Vekic, a Croatian WTA professional.
Kyrgios was handed a suspended 28-day ban and $25,000 fine.
But the Australian insisted Thursday there won't be a problem when he faces second-seeded Wawrinka on Friday.
"Since the incident, I think we've both moved on from it," said the 20-year-old.
"We played on the same team in IPTL (International Premier Tennis League). That was actually really good. I got to know him a little bit more. He played great there.
"He's one of the best players in the world, no doubt. He's playing great tennis."
Stan Wawrinka Sets up Another Nick Kyrgios Showdown
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Stan Wawrinka saw off Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 6-1 while Nick Kyrgios stunned third-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 at Dubai Tennis Championships
Stan Wawrinka is a two-time Grand Slam champion.© AFP