Mardy Fish advances into last eight

Mardy Fish has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open with a straight-sets victory over Radek Stepanek.

The American had not beaten Stepanek in four previous meetings but changed that record with a 6-3 6-3 win over the 31-year-old.

He broke the Czech at the third attempt before going on to record a comfortable hold to claim the first set.

Fish continued to serve solidly throughout the second set, rarely giving Stepanek a sniff, while he regularly threatened to break for a second time.

That crucial break came in the fifth game and Fish did not look back as he went on to replicate the first-set scoreline and book his last-eight berth.

He will face either Stanislas Wawrinka or Kei Nishikori in the next round.