Top seed David Ferrer survived a scare before beating local favourite Takao Suzuki 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the Japan [Images] Open quarter-finals in Tokyo on Thursday.

Second seed Andy Roddick [Images] joined him in the last eight, the big-serving American overpowering Austrian Juergen Melzer 7-6, 6-2 under floodlights.

Chasing a place at the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, world number five Ferrer was given a tough workout by a player ranked 588 places below him.

"Takao surprised me," said the Spaniard, defending champion at the US $ 969,000 Tokyo tournament. "But once I broke in the second set I got more confidence and the third set was easier."

Suzuki, who came close to a shock win over Roger Federer [Images] in Tokyo two years ago, capitalised on Ferrer's early sluggishness to take first set with a fizzing serve down the middle.

Ferrer promptly stepped up a gear in the second and levelled the match with a kicking serve Suzuki could only dump into the net.

The Spaniard glided through the decider, breaking twice before wrapping up proceedings with a blistering ace after an hour and 20 minutes.

Ferrer takes on fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarter-finals after the Argentine crushed Finnish 11th seed Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-3.

RODDICK ADVANCES

Roddick, also closing in on one of the four remaining spots in next month's eight-man Shanghai shoot-out, came through safely despite a nervy first set.

"I'm glad I didn't have to spend too much time on court," said the former US Open [Images] champion, who had complained of fatigue after winning his 26th career title in Beijing [Images] at the weekend.

"I felt a bit sluggish last night but I was a lot better today."

Roddick faces Serbian Viktor Troicki in the quarter-finals after Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired from their match with an abdominal strain having won the first set 7-5.

Troicki was leading 2-1 in the second when Tsonga decided to stop.

Fourth seed Richard Gasquet brought Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori's run to an abrupt halt, the Frenchman racing to a 6-1, 6-2 victory in a one-sided match.

Gasquet takes on 12th-seeded Rainer Schuettler in the last eight following the German's 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 win over Russian eighth seed Mikhail Youzhny.

Chile's third seed Fernando Gonzalez overcame American Amer Delic 6-4, 7-6 to set up a meeting with ninth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, who upset sixth seed Tommy Robredo of Spain 7-6, 6-2.

Federer, Rafael Nadal [Images], Novak Djokovic [Images] and Andy Murray have already qualified for the Masters Cup.

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