Kei Nishikori will face Stan Wawrinka in the third round of the Madrid Open after battling past Bolivian qualifier Hugo Dellien on Wednesday.
Nishikori needed just over two hours to win 7-5, 7-5 after Dellien saved seven set points during an impressive fightback from 5-1 down in the opening set.
The Japanese will go up against Wawrinka on Thursday for a place in the quarterfinals. Wawrinka beat Argentina's Guido Pella 6-3, 6-4, with a break in each set proving enough for the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Naomi Osaka is through to the women’s quarterfinals after she eased past Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-3.
Important results: Men: Second round: Jeremy Chardy bt Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-2; Kei Nishikori bt Hugo Dellien 7-5, 7-5; Stan Wawrinka bt Guido Pella 6-3, 6-4; Frances Tiafoe bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Marin Cilic bt Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Roger Federer bt Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-3; Dominic Thiem bt Reilly Opelka 6-7(2), 6-3, 1-0 retd.
Women: Third round: Naomi Osaka bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-3; Simona Halep bt Viktoria Kuzmova 6-0, 6-0; Kiki Bertens bt Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-2.
Second round: Kateryna Kozlova bt Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 2-6, 6-4; Zheng Saisai bt Alize Cornet 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Donna Vekic bt Kristyna Pliskova 6-4, 6-4; Caroline Garcia bt Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 .
