Miami, FL, USA, 30 March 2015 | tennis.com.au

Bernard Tomic has pushed No.8 seed Tomas Berdych to the brink before going down in three sets in the third round of the Miami Open.

Tomic let slip four match points in the two hour, 35 minute encounter, eventually falling 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-1 to the Czech.

Berdych will face Gael Monfils in the fourth round.

After taking a tight first set, Tomic surged to a 4-0 lead in the second set, and moved ahead 5-2 a few games later.

But Berdych refused to wilt, producing steady yet aggressive play to eventually wear the Aussie down.

He staved off a fourth match point with an ace down the T that clipped the outside edge of the line, and was the stronger player throughout the second set tiebreak.

A despondant Tomic was no match for the eighth seed in a brisk final set.

Berdych has won all four of the pair’s career meetings.