MIAMI: Rafael Nadal and Kei Nishikori moved into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open with victories at Key Biscayne yesterday.
Nadal beat France’s Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in a tightly fought contest and will face American Jack Sock who comfortably beat his compatriot Jared Donaldson 6-2, 6-1.
The Spaniard, who has never won the Miami title, got the only break of the match to go 5-4 up in the first set.
Second-seed Nishikori, of Japan, survived a second set scare against Argentine Federico Delbonis before winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Nishikori, who lost to Novak Djokovic in last year’s Miami final, will face Italian Fabio Fognini who defeated American Donald Young 6-0 6-4.
Young’s loss meant only one American man would reach the round of eight, and that’s Sock.
Czech Tomas Berdych, the tenth seed, also advanced thanks to a 6-3, 7-5 victory over France’s Adrian Mannarino.
On the women’s side, second-seeded Karolina Pliskova reached the semi-final, beating 26th-seeded Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3, 6-4. It’s the first time Pliskova has made the semi-finals of this tournament.
Pliskova improved to 23-3 this year, the best record on the women’s tour.
“I’m really confident and enjoying every match,” said Pliskova, who took advantage of 10 double faults by Lucic-Baroni. “It’s my best tennis that I’ve played this year, here in the Miami Open.”
Next up for Pliskova — who avenged a loss to Lucic-Baroni in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open — is Caroline Wozniacki or Lucie Safarova.