Belgian David Goffin continued his giant-killing run at Indian Wells as he stormed into the last four of the BNP Paribas Open with a 7-6(4) 6-2 upset victory over 10th-seeded Croat Marin Cilic on Thursday.

A day after ousting third seed Stan Wawrinka, Goffin battled hard to reach his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final, saving 11 of 12 break points before sealing the win in just over an hour-and-a-half.

The six-foot six-inch (1.98 metres) Cilic, who squandered four set points in the opening set, lost for an eighth consecutive time in the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 event.

"It's good that in tennis you can find some solution against big players like Marin or Milos (Raonic) or (John) Isner," Goffin, 25, told reporters.

"Maybe I'm quicker. I think I can take the ball earlier. I have other weapons. That's why tennis is a nice sport.

"I'm really happy with the way I managed the important points ... it was the key of the match, to win the first set, and to be more relaxed in the second."

World number 18 Goffin broke the former US Open champion's serve twice in the second set as he tightened his grip on the match.

"I was on my baseline and I was making him run a lot," said the Belgian, who has won two ATP titles.

"When I had the opportunity on his second serve, I was really aggressive, so that's why it was a better second set."

Goffin will next meet either 12th-seeded Canadian Raonic or Frenchman Gael Monfils who were playing their quarter-final later on Thursday.

The remaining matches in the last eight will be held on Friday when fourth seed Rafa Nadal, three times a champion at Indian Wells, takes on Japan's Kei Nishikori and top seed Novak Djokovic faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.