Nishikori five in a row over Ferrer

Number nine seed veteran David Ferrer from Spain must be sick of drawing Kei Nishikori in big tournaments.  He met the fifth seed in three Masters events in 2014, losing each time, and to top it off lost again to the Japanese player at the year end tour finals.  Each match went to three sets so today's fourth round match being a best of five scenario could see Ferrer in with a good chance of turning the tables on Nishikori.

Ferrer won his opening serve and Nishikori faced break points the very next game.  He fought them off, ably assisted by Ferrer who double faulted to begin and end the game. 2-1 Nishikori.  Ferrer saved two more break points in the fifth game but was having a lot of trouble finding a way through the Nishikori defence and was making more unforced errors than acceptable for him.

More break points were saved in the seventh game but it couldn't continue forever and when serving at 3-5 Ferrer crumbled, unforced lapses leading to 15-40 and Nishikori throwing in a clean backhand to resolve the set in his favour 6-3.

At 40-15 Nishikori was about to claim the second sets opening game when Ferrer opted to interfere and break on the third attempt.

On the Ferrer serve the second of two break points was licked up by Nishikori via another forehand winner and games were on serve.

They continued to be on serve until 3-3 with Ferrer starting to connect better with his forehand in particular but still not as fluent as Nishikori who was finding it easier to hold serve apart from that earlier blip.

At 3-4 and 0-30 David Ferrer double faulted and three break points were transferred into Nishikori's account.  Ferrer took one back with a brilliant forehand into the corner just as good as a winner, but his next forehand was useless and the break was official. 5-3 Nishikori.

Nishikori won the second set 6-3 with the Ferrer backhand return missing its target.  Now leading 6-3 6-3 the number five seed could almost taste the quarter final spot.

The opening game of set three saw Ferrer hit a forehand long to give Nishikori two break points and Kei was delighted, celebrating by going crosscourt with a forehand winner and leading 1-0.  This lead was doubled when he held serve comfortably the next game.

Both players then kept a safe hold on their serves and it was only when Ferrer had to serve at 3-5 that alarm bells began to ring.

They rang even louder at 0-40 but Nishikori teased a little hitting one forehand into the net and another long before Ferrer found the net with his forehand and the match was over.

Kei Nishikori the victor for the fifth successive time over David Ferrer, this time 6-3 6-3 6-3 and into a quarter final at Melbourne Park 2015.