Rory McIlroy beats Chris Kirk to reach WGC-Dell Match Play semis

Rory McIlroy is ranked third in the world

Defending champion Rory McIlroy reached the semi-finals of the WGC-Dell Match Play with a comfortable 4&3 win over American Chris Kirk in Texas.

McIlroy, 26, will now play Jason Day after the Australian beat American Brooks Koepka 3&2 to reclaim the world's number-one ranking.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy, who earlier beat Zach Johnson on the final green in the last 16, never trailed Kirk.

He won four of six holes after the turn to seal victory.

The win extended McIlroy's unbeaten run in the event to 12 matches, one short of the record held by former world number one Tiger Woods.

Woods won the event as a straight knockout tournament in 2003 and 2004 before losing in the second round to Nick O'Hern in 2005.

Jason Day's win in the 2015 USPGA Championship gave him his first major title

Day's victory allows the 28-year-old to overhaul Jordan Spieth in the rankings after Spieth lost his last-16 tie to Louis Oosthuizen.

South Africa's Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion, then beat Dustin Johnson 2&1 to set up a semi-final against Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello, who beat Ryan Moore 2&1 victory.

The semi-finals and final will be played on Sunday.