Top seed Kei Nishikori has got off to a shaky start at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires after battling back from a set down to defeat Diego Schwartzman 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
The world No.5 is playing in the Argentinian capital for the first time since 2012, ending his four-year stint at the Memphis Open. Facing the home player Schwartzman in his second round clash, Nishikori came undone in the opening set as he dropped serve two times. On the verge of a shock loss, the top seed responded swiftly by taking advantage of his opponents temperamental second serve throughout the next two sets to reach the quarterfinals.
“The (hot) conditions were tough and it really had the atmosphere of an away match,” said Nishikori.
“My opponent played well in the first set but I was able to return aggressively from the second set onwards.”
Awaiting Nishikori in the last eight will be Portugal’s João Sousa. World No.41 Sousa hit five aces and won 66% of service points to secure a 7-5, 6-3, win over Federico Delbonis. The Portuguese player will be playing in his second ATP Quarter-finals of the season after reaching the final of the Auckland Open last month.
The upcoming meeting between the two players will be their second on the tour. Their first only lasted seven games after Nishikori was forced to retire due to injury at the 2016 Tokyo Open.
Spanish fourth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas was elevated into the quarterfinals after Leonardo Mayer retired in the third set due to a left knee injury. The Spanish world No.26 was engaged in a battle lasting well over two hours before Mayer was forced to retire with the score at 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 1-0, in Ramos-Vinolas’ favour. In the next round the fourth seed will play compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta, who overcame Italian qualifier Alessandro Giannessi 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Elsewhere at the tournament, which has been hit adverse weather conditions throughout the week, the top two players at last week’s Quito Open in Ecuador suffered first round defeats at the tournament. Eight seed Paolo Lorenzi suffered a shock 6-3, 6-3, loss to Austria Gerald Melzer. Meanwhile Quito champion Victor Estrella Burgos bowed out 6-2, 6-1, to world No.84 Thiago Monteiro.
