Nick Kyrgios and Roger Federer have set up a potentially exciting quarter-finals after coming out on top in the ‘Quarter of Death’ at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, getting the better of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal respectively.

Third seed Stan Wawrinka, who is also the highest seed left in the draw after Djokovic’s ouster, needed three sets to fend off lucky loser Yoshihito Nishioka to make it to the quarter-finals. The 21-year-old Japanese southpaw started off strongly to take the first set 6-3, before the three-time major champion turned around the match, winning the last two sets 6-3, 7-6(4).

“I wasn’t playing great. I was not moving well at the beginning,” said the World No 3 analysing his match. “I think in general in the third set, I played better than the first two sets. I was playing a little bit more aggressive.”

Wawrinka will next face eighth seed Dominic Thiem in the quarters, after the Austrian defeated 10th seeded Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 in their fourth round match.

Thiem won 83% points off his first serves to Monfils’ 62% and saved both break points on his serve. He also converted three of the six break points he faced on the Frenchman’s serve – one in the first set and two in the second – to finish off the match in 68 minutes.

Pablo vs Pablo

In the other matches, Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas, seeded 27th, upset 11th seeded Belgian David Goffin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in their pre-quarter-final match. Cuevas won a total of 73% points on his serve in the 98-minute match, and 54% points for the entirety of the match. And, while he was unable to save the only break point on his serve – in the second set – he also made good by converting two of the five chances he had to break Goffin’s serve.

In the quarters, Cuevas will face a player with whom he shares his first name, in Pablo Carreno Busta, after the latter defeated Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic. The 21st seeded Spaniard won in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(5) in an hour and 29 minutes. Carreno Busta put in 72% of his first serves and won 88% points off them. In comparison, Lajovic had a first serve percentage of 56%, with 72% points won off them. The first set featured just the one break of serve, on Lajovic’s game, while in the second set both players exchanged breaks to take the set into the tie-break that Carreno Busta won 7-5.

Kei Nishikori downs one American, awaits another

In the last quarter-final, 17th seed Jack Sock will face fourth seed Kei Nishikori. Sock brought an end to Malek Jaziri’s highs in the event with a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-5 win over the Tunisian in a match that lasted two hours and 37 minutes.

Jaziri, who faced no break points in the opening set, converted one of the two break points on the American’s serve to put himself ahead in the match. The second set had no service breaks despite both players receiving a handful of chances and in the tie-break, Sock dropped just one point before equalling the match. The final set had both players trade breaks of serve, before Sock finally capitalised decisively to romp ahead with the win.

Nishikori, meanwhile, enjoyed another routine win as he trounced Donald Young 6-2, 6-4 in 77 minutes to reach his second consecutive quarter-final in the tournament. Against Sock, whom he has faced twice before, the World No 5 has a divided head-to-head, though neither of these matches have come recently. Nishikori won their first meeting in the second round of the 2013 Citi Open in Washington, but lost their second matchup the following year in the round of 32 at the Shanghai Masters.

Novak Djokovic’s doubles run ends in disappointment

The sixth seeded team of Raaven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram ended the run of Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki in their men’s doubles quarter-final. The South African and his American partner lost the first set, but rebounded well to win the match 3-6, 6-2, 10-6.

The unseeded team of Sam Querrey and Gilles Muller will take on Klaasen and Ram in the semi-final, after the duo upset the third seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers, 6-7(2), 6-3, 10-6.

Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares won their quarter-final clash against Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-4. The fourth seeds will play the eighth seeded Polish-Brazilian team of Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, after the team defeated Nick Kyrgios and Nenad Zimonjic in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.