Murrays through in Japan Open doubles

Andy and Jamie Murray booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Japan Open after battling for a three-set victory in their first-round doubles clash against Pablo Andujar and Milos Raonic.

The British pair spurned a match-point chance on their own serve in the second set before going on to lose on the tie-breaker. But they hit back in the decider to register a 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 10-6 win in Tokyo.

Their opponents in the last eight will be Japanese wildcards Tatsuma Ito and Kei Nishikori, who upset third seeds Christopher Kas and Alexander Peya.

In the singles, holder Rafael Nadal made a comfortable start to the defence of his title with a straight-sets win over local wild-card Go Soeda. Top seed and world No 2 Nadal, who is seeking his 47th career title, forced four breaks of the world No 118’s serve on his way to a 6-3, 6-2 win in 91 minutes.

Next up for the Spaniard is a second-round encounter with Canada’s Milos Raonic, who defeated Japan’s Yuichi Sugita 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 7-6 (7/1).

Andy Murray is the second seed in the singles draw and opens his campaign against Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus this morning.

Third seed David Ferrer brutally dashed home hopes as he dispatched Kei Nishikori in straight sets. Nishikori, the Japanese No 1, was never at his best and conceded ten break points, of which 2007 champion Ferrer converted four on his way to a 6-4, 6-3 triumph.

Bernard Tomic provided the surprise of the day as he saw off Serbian fifth seed Viktor Troicki 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/1). Next up for the Australian is a clash with Japanese wild-card Tatsuma Ito, who beat Israel’s Dudi Sela 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

David Nalbandian opened his account with a brisk 6-1, 6-1 dismissal of Lukas Rosol in just 49 minutes. The Argentine is still seeking his best form after leg surgery earlier this year and said: “It was a very good first round. I feel that every day I’m getting better, so I’m happy.”

Ivan Dodig awaits Nalbandian in round two after the Croatian served up a shock by defeating eighth seeded Argentine Juan Monaco 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/1).

Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis also progressed with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 win over Poland’s Lukasz Kubot.

Next up for the world No 49 is American fourth seed Mardy Fish, who saw off compatriot Ryan Harrison. There were also first-round wins for Santiago Giraldo and Alex Bogomolov.

In Beijing, US Open champion Samantha Stosur lost in the second round of the China Open, beaten for the second time in a week by Russian Maria Kirilenko Australian Stosur, the sixth seed and world No 7, was beaten 7-5, 1-6, 7-5.

Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki reached the third round with a text-book 6-2, 6-3 win over Australian Jarmila Gajdosova.

In the men’s draw, top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga smashed his way to the second round, beating Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 7-6, 7-5, while Spain’s Marcel Granollers beat fifth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-1 and Czech Tomas Berdych, seeded third, defeated Austrian Jurgen Melzer 7-5, 7-5.