Federer survives scare, Wawrinka crashes out

Roger Federer survived a stern test from Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the Miami Open quarter-finals yesterday morning (Singapore time), while top-seeded Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka was eliminated on his birthday.

Federer clinched the 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) victory on his third match-point, shortly after Wawrinka fell 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to 16th-seeded German teenager Alexander Zverev.

Bautista Agut played the match of his life, hitting the ball deep with relentless precision in an effort to keep Federer pinned to the baseline, giving the 18-time Grand Slam champion everything he could handle.

But, Federer's class proved the difference in the tie-breaks as he improved to 6-0 in his career meetings with Bautista Agut and advanced to a showdown against 10th-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych.

Wawrinka, who turned 32 on Tuesday, lost to Federer in the Indian Wells final nine days ago and was denied a chance of setting up a possible rematch in Miami.

A day after saving three match-points against John Isner, the 19-year-old Zverev dominated the final two sets against Wawrinka, breaking twice in the second and thrice in the third to earn a quarter-final encounter with Nick Kyrgios.

"I completely went down physically and mentally, and also my tennis was completely out. I had no more gas," said Wawrinka.

Kyrgios looked ominous as he warmed up for the match by not dropping serve in his 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory over Belgian eighth seed David Goffin.

Japanese second seed Kei Nishikori was taken to three sets before ousting Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Fifth seed Rafael Nadal won in straight sets, but had to work hard to beat Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), to earn a clash with American Jack Sock this morning.

Nishikori was also scheduled to play Italian Fabio Fognini this morning

In the women's draw, Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova will face Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals of the Miami Open.

Pliskova ended the hopes of Croat veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni with a 6-3, 6-4 win while Wozniacki made sure there would be no all-Czech semi-final by dispatching Lucie Safarova 6-4. 6-3.

This morning's quarter-finals saw third seed Simona Halep of Romania take on Britain's Johanna Konta while world 
No. 1 Angelique Kerber faced local favourite and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams. - WIRE SERVICES