Djokovic eases into quarter-finals of Madrid Open

MADRID ( Reuters) - World No. 2 Novak Djokovic reached the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open on Thursday with a straight set victory (6-4 7-5) over Feliciano Lopez.

Djokovic, who won the tournament last year, had fewer problems against the 35-year-old Spaniard than in his three-set second round test with Nicolas Almagro a day earlier, taking the first set 6-4 before breaking in the 12th game of the second to avoid a tie-break.

Rain in the Spanish capital meant the roof on the Manolo Santana court was closed for the game, slowing down Lopez's powerful serve to the advantage of the Serb, who recently split from his long-term coach Marian Vajda.

Djokovic joins David Goffin in the quarter-finals after the Belgian beat Milos Raonic 6-4 6-2, along with Kei Nishikori, who saw off David Ferrer of Spain 6-4 6-3.

World number one and last year's runner-up Andy Murray plays Borna Coric before crowd-favourite Rafael Nadal, the only remaining Spaniard in the tournament, plays Australian Nick Kyrgios.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; editing by Richard Lough)