French Open: Nishikori enters last-16 after Laaksonen retires injured

After overcoming two five-set encounters this week, Kei Nishikori spent just 58 minutes on Friday to ensure a safe passage to the second week Roland Garros.

Japan's Kei Nishikori booked a place in the French Open last-16 on Friday when his Swiss opponent Henri Laaksonen retired with an injury after dropping the opening set 7-5.

Japan's Kei Nishikori booked a place in the French Open last-16 on Friday when his Swiss opponent Henri Laaksonen retired with an injury after dropping the opening set 7-5.

After overcoming two brutal five-set encounters this week, Nishikori spent just 58 minutes on Court Simonne-Mathieu to ensure a safe passage to the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time since Wimbledon 2019.

World number 150 Laaksonen, playing in the third round of a major for the first time, appeared to have picked up a thigh injury early in the opening set and was forced to take an off-court medical timeout.

"I didn't feel anything (in my) last matches. Yesterday on practice nothing. Today warmup nothing either. When I started the match, everything was fine," Laaksonen told reporters.

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"So then I went on the 2-1 game to the backhand corner and I tried to recover from there and then I felt pain on the adductor, abductor -- I don't know which one it is inside. I couldn't move then anymore."

The 29-year-old struggled to move around the court as Nishikori claimed the only break point of the set to take a 6-5 lead before rain halted play on the outer courts.

Shortly after the action resumed, Laaksonen conceded the opening set and decided against continuing the match.