Kei Nishikori advanced to the quarterfinals of the Rakuten Japan Open with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory over unseeded American Donald Young on Thursday afternoon at Ariake Colosseum.
The fourth-seeded Nishikori, ranked No. 7 in the world, blasted away from the baseline and capitalized on several unforced errors by the left-handed Young in the triumph.
The second-round match before a capacity crowd began with the roof open, but with Nishikori holding break point in the fifth game of the opening set, rain began to fall and play was halted. When action resumed, the roof was closed.