Andy Murray overcame a spirited challenge from Dominic Thiem to reach the semi-finals of the Miami Masters.

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Unseeded Thiem, 21, was playing in his first Masters quarter-final but showed no signs of any nerves against the 2009 and 2013 champion.

The Austrian took the first set and fought back from a break down in the second, but third seed Murray showed all of his experience to take the tie to a decider before outlasting his opponent to seal a 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory.

Murray was broken on his second service game, with Thiem then holding to love to march into a commanding 4-1 lead.

Murray would force a break point when his lower-ranked opponent served for the set, but Thiem took the attack to the Scot and his mentality reaped rewards. Murray sent a backhand pass into the net as Thiem took the first set at the second attempt, but the world number four marched into a 3-0 lead at the start of the second.

Thiem, though, showed no sign of abandoning his big-hitting instincts and, as Murray’s first serve percentage dipped, took advantage to break back in the seventh game.

Yet having worked hard to level the set at 4-4, Thiem then promptly lost it after a couple of unforced errors allowed Murray to take the match to a third set.

The two-time grand slam champion had the bit between the teeth and some disciplined play allowed him to break Thiem in the fourth game, which seemed to end the youngster’s resistance once and for all.

Murray broke again en route to winning the last five games and seal victory in one and three-quarter hours.