Nishikori on course for finals repeat

TOKYO: Kei Nishikori roared into the quarter-finals of the Japan Open on Thursday to remain on course for a repeat of last year's final.

Fourth seed Nishikori sent Spain's Feliciano Lopez packing with a 7-6, 6-0 victory, extending his winning streak on the Ariake hard-court to 10 in Japan Open and Davis Cup competition with a swashbuckling display.

Slovakian Lacko beat qualifier Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-5, 6-4 to boost his earnings for the week to $32,000 so far since winning the coin toss to replace injured Frenchman Michael Llodra in the main draw.

Nishikori took seven minutes less than Raonic to advance, taking the first set tiebreak 7-4 with an ace down the middle before dishing out the dreaded "bagel" to Lopez in a 21-minute second set.

He completed the job with a thundering forehand return.

Nishikori burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old by winning in Delray Beach as a 244th-ranked qualifier in 2008, becoming the first Japanese man to win an ATP title since Shuzo Matsuoka in 1992.

He plays Spain's Nicolas Almagro in the last eight after the sixth seed thrashed Argentina's Horacio Zeballos 6-4, 6-2.

Top seed Juan Martin del Potro safely reached the quarter-finals on Wednesday, before former Tokyo champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga suffered a shock second-round defeat.

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray withdrew to undergo minor back surgery set
to keep the Scot out for the rest of the year.

The Japan Open has boasted a glittering list of champions since Ken Rosewall lifted the trophy in 1973 when it became an official tour event.
Stefan Edberg holds the record with four wins, including three in a row from 1989-1991.

John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras have all won the title, while Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Murray have triumphed in recent years. (AFP)