Ferrer wins, Roddick tested in Tokyo

Top seed David Ferrer began the defence of his Japan Open title with a 6-4 4-6 6-1 victory over American Jesse Levine on Wednesday.

Chasing a berth at the season-ending ATP Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, the Spanish world number five recovered from a poor second set to finish off the second round encounter in clinical fashion.

"I don't care about Shanghai now," shrugged Ferrer, who suffered an embarrassing opening match exit in Beijing last week.

"I'm just focusing on this tournament. I have three more tournaments before Shanghai. It's another week. What is important for me is to play well and take more confidence with me."

Ferrer secured the first set when he chased down a Levine drop shot and whipped a forehand cross-court winner past his 101st-ranked opponent.

The Spaniard failed to capitalise and Levine broke Ferrer's serve in the opening game of the second set before levelling the match with a big serve down the middle.

However, Ferrer's superior class showed in the decider as he buried Levine in a flurry of huge ground strokes, closing out the match with an ace to book his place in the last 16 of the $969,000 tournament.

Ferrer will play Takao Suzuki next after the Japanese player upset Italian 15th seed Simone Bolelli 7-6 4-6 7-6.

TSONGA ADVANCES

French seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, this year's Australian Open runner-up who won his first tour title in Bangkok at the weekend, beat American Bobby Reynolds 4-6 7-6 6-4.

Spanish sixth seed Tommy Robredo beat Australian Joseph Sirianni 6-2 6-2 to set up a meeting against ninth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, a 6-3 6-4 winner over Croat Roko Karanusic.

Finnish 11th seed Jarkko Nieminen, number 12 Rainer Schuettler of Germany and Austria's Juergen Melzer, the 14th seed, were among other leading players to advance.

Meanwhile, local teenager Kei Nishikori, who in February became the first Japanese player to win an ATP Tour title in 16 years, delighted the home crowd with a 6-4 6-4 victory over 16th-seeded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Second seed Andy Roddick, also closing in on a place in next month's prestigious eight-man Shanghai shootout, was facing Czech Ivo Minar later on Wednesday.