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Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic enter Mexican Open last eight with contrasting wins
Rafael Nadal, second seed at the Mexico Open, cruised into the quarter-finals with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 victory over Paolo Lorenzi. Novak Djokovic beat Juan Martin Del Potro
Second-seeded Rafael Nadal cruised into the quarter-finals of the Mexico Open on Wednesday with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 victory over Paolo Lorenzi.
Spain’s Nadal, a two-time winner in Acapulco who is playing his first tournament since falling to Roger Federer in the Australian Open final, made short work of the 38th-ranked Lorenzi.
Nadal dropped just seven points on his serve, never facing a break point.
Djokovic wins
Novak Djokovic - seeking to reach his first final at the ATP 500 event - had to dig deep against Juan Martin del Potro to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 over the 2009 US Open champion in Acapulco.
The Serbian star broke in the 10th and final game as he closed out the second-round clash in two hours, 38 minutes to set up a meeting with sixth seed Nick Kyrgios, who saw off Donald Young 6-2, 6-4.
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He broke the Italian for the fifth time in the final game of the match, delivering a stinging forehand winner to wrap up the win in just 66 minutes.
Nadal next faces Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 winner over Australian lucky loser Jordan Thompson.
Action on Acapulco’s Cancha Central was to conclude Wednesday with top-seeded Novak Djokovic taking on Argentine veteran Juan Martin del Potro -- with the winner advancing to a quarter-final clash with Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.
Sixth-seeded Kyrgios defeated American Donald Young 6-2, 6-4.
Third-seeded Marin Cilic booked his quarter-final berth with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 victory over fellow Croatian Borna Coric.
Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, remained unbeaten against his 20-year-old compatriot.
He fired a dozen aces, and broke Coric three times in the match -- including twice in the final set to set up a clash with American Steve Johnson, a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 winner over American wildcard Ernesto Escobedo.
