Story so far: Nishikori in last 16 again

Kei Nishikori reached the last 16 for the sixth time in seven years after a mighty tussle with Laslo Djere on Court 1. After four hours and 26 minutes, the Japanese emerged the victor from a see-saw match 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3, 4-6, 8-6 which thrilled the Bullring crowd.

But Nishikori’s next opponent will have the home spectators with him. Benoit Paire reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the third time in his career, and first in Paris, when Pablo Carrena Busta was forced to retire due to a right thigh injury with Paire leading 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(1).

On a packed Court Suzanne-Lenglen, Roger Federer saved set point in the third chapter before seeing off the 20-year-old world No.63 Casper Ruud, winning 6-3, 6-1, 7-6(8). The Swiss No.3 seed next takes on Argentina's Leonardo Mayer, who ended the inspired run of 37-year-old French wildcard Nicolas Mahut.

The match between Martin Klizan and Lucas Pouille was stopped for bad light on Thursday evening with Klizan in good shape for a four-set win. Resuming on Friday, the Frenchman took it into a decider before Klizan prevailed 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 9-7.

Garbine Muguruza announced herself as a contender for the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen by dispatching Elina Svitolina, so many times a bogey player for the Spaniard. The 2016 champion, gathering authority with each round she plays here, triumphed 6-3, 6-3 to reach the last 16 for the sixth successive year.

Donna Vekic defied expectations by routing the in-form Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-1.

Marketa Vondrousova produced an impressive display against the No.28 seed Carla Suarrez Navarro, to equal her fourth round benchmark at the US Open last year. The 19-year-old’s reward is a meeting with No.12 seed Anastasija Sevastova, who surged back against Elise Mertens to take it 6-7(3), 6-4, 11-9 in three hours and 18 minutes, saving five match points along the way.

Kaia Kanepi was another to come back from an early reverse, defeating Veronika Kudermetova 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. She will play Petra Martic who earlier shocked the No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova.

Madison Keys overcame Patricia Hon 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 in a match that was also resumed on Friday after being suspended for darkness from the night before. Keys next takes on Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova.

Lesia Tsurenko and Aleksandra Krunic were poised at 6-6 in the deciding set when their match succumbed to bad light on Thursday evening. On the resumption there was plenty of fighting left, before the No.27 seed snatched it 5-7, 7-5, 11-9. Tsurenko will meet defending champion Simona Halep.

The highly-anticipated clash between 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka and former world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov was moved to Court 1 from its originally scheduled Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

French wildcard Corentin Moutet is locked in a five-set battle with Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero on Court 14.