Wednesday 29 March 2017 12:23, UK
Roger Federer saw off Roberto Bautista Agut at the Miami Open to remain on course for back-to-back Masters titles but top seed Stan Wawrinka is out
Federer has begun 2017 with some of the best, and most unexpected, form of his career and after claiming Masters title number 25 at Indian Wells just over a week ago, he remains on course for number 26 this weekend having equalled his best start to a season (16-1) with a 7-6 7-6 triumph.
The Swiss did not have everything his own way against Bautista Agut, needing a couple of tie-breaks to see off the Spanish 14th seed in just under two hours.
Bautista Agut took to the court having never beaten Federer in their five previous meetings, never having broken the 18-time Grand Slam winner and never having got to five games against the Australian Open champion.
However, it was the Spaniard who struck with the first break to lead 5-4 having failed to trouble the Federer serve in the early exchanges.
But Federer broke back immediately, a double fault handed him the break-back to love and with both men holding onto their serve the first set went to a tie-break. A thrilling decider see-sawed until Federer put away a winner to take the opener.
After a seven-minute delay as Bautista Agut received treatment on a nasty looking foot injury, the opening game lasted eight minutes on the Spaniard's serve, Federer struck with to break immediately in the second set.
Bautista Agut hit back with a break of his own as Federer's first serve let him down more than at any time over the last few weeks. At 4-4 Federer began to go through the gears but found Bautista Agut in equally impressive form as the pair traded yet more thrilling rallies until Federer ran through the tie-break to claim a hard-fought victory
Federer will next face 2010 Miami runner-up Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals, after the Czech 10th seed beat Adrian Mannarino 6-3 7-5 to the reach the quarter-finals in Miami for the eighth time in the last 10 years.
There will be no repeat in Florida of the final at Indian Wells as runner-up in California and top seed Wawrinka was beaten in three sets by German teenager Alexander Zverev.
Having taken the first set, Wawrinka looked on course for the last eight but Zverev stormed back to take the match 4-6 6-2 6-1 and seal a place in his first Masters quarter-final where he will face either Nick Kyrgios or David Goffin.
In the bottom half of the draw, Rafael Nadal ended Mahut's best run at a Masters event, the Frenchman had won three successive singles matches at 1000 level for the first time, but Nadal proved too strong to advance to the last eight.
The Spaniard is a four-time Miami runner-up but has never won the title, most recently losing to Novak Djokovic in 2014, but he has looked in good touch this week and in the opposite side of the draw to the in-form Federer he will have high hopes of at least a final place.
Nadal, seeded fifth in the absence of Djokovic and world number one Andy Murray, forced the only break of serve in the match in the opening set before edging out his opponent in a second set tie-break.
Next up for the world number seven and 14-time Grand Slam is Jack Sock who continued his fabulous 2017 with another dominant display to reach his fourth successive Masters quarter-final.
The American is a two-time champion in 2017 and is chasing the biggest singles title of his career and made short work of American qualifier Jared Donaldson.
Sock, a semi-finalist in Indian Wells, has claimed titles in Auckland and Delray Beach already this season and overwhelmed Donaldson in 62 minutes to secure a 6-2 6-1 victory and a date with Nadal or Mahut.
Kei Nishikori overcame an injury scare to remain on course for a maiden Masters title and go one better than his runner-up finish to Novak Djokovic at Crandon Park last year.
The Japanese second seed took the first set before seeing world number 57 Federico Delbonis fight back to level the contest.
Having called for the trainer before the third set, Nishikori received treatment on his quad muscle before returning to mop up the match and seal a 6-3 4-6 6-3 triumph that seals a quarter-final with Fabio Fognini.
In the opening fourth-round match of the day, Fognini beat Donald Young 6-0 6-4, with the American refusing to shake the umpire's hand at the conclusion of the match.
Fognini did not get beyond the second round of any of the Masters events last year but after a run to the third round in Indian Wells, the world number 40 has gone one better and reached the last 16 in Florida.
Fognini overwhelmed Young in the first set, taking just 22 minutes to land three breaks of serve and hold each of his own service games in comfortable fashion.
The second was more evenly contested but Fognini did enough to seal his Nishikori showdown and a first Masters quarter-final since Cinicinatti in 2014.
You can follow Wednesday's Miami Open quarter-finals from 8pm and 2am on Sky Sports 1
