BASEL (SWITZERLAND) - Kei Nishikori dominated Paolo Lorenzi 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 to reach the Swiss Indoors quarter-finals on Wednesday, with Asia's top player feeling his way back after a series of recent fitness problems.
Despite recent fitness problems, Kei Nishikori of Japan dominated Paolo Lorenzi to qualify for the Swiss Indoors quarter-finals in Basel
The Japanese third seed, who played the 2011 final at the St Jakobshalle against Roger Federer, needed more than an hour to stamp his authority on his 38th-ranked Italian opponent in the first set before sprinting to the win in 98 minutes.
Nishikori, who had to quit his home Japan Open at the start of the month with a glute muscle problem, began his recovery process at his base in Florida as he prepares to finish the season on a high and then play the World Tour Finals in London next month.
Nishkori, 26, finished with two breaks of Lorenzi while never facing a break point on his own serve.
In concluding first round play, Argentine Guido Pella advanced as French seventh seed Richard Gasquet retired injured trailing 6-2, 2-1.
American eighth seed Jack Sock eliminated Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-3 while Pablo Carreno Busta won an all-Spanish showdown over Fernando Verdasco, 7-5, 6-3.
Germany's Mischa Zverev defeated US teenager Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7/4), 6-0.