Brisbane International 2017: Round of 16 men’s singles coverage

THE Brisbane International will have a men’s finalist ranked outside the top 40, with American Ryan Harrison and Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin among a quartet looking hungrily towards Sunday’s title decider.

Ryan Harrison in action against Yannick Hanfmann on Thursday.

THE Brisbane International will have a men’s finalist ranked outside the top 40, with American Ryan Harrison and Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin among a quartet looking hungrily towards Sunday’s title decider.

Harrison, ranked No.47, and No.63 Istomin stepped through the fallen seeds on Thursday to a quarter-final showdown on Friday.

Harrison turned back Germany’s lucky loser Yannick Hanfmann, a late replacement for the injured Andy Murray, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2 in their Queensland Tennis Centre second-round match.

Denis Istomin celebrates his victory over Jared Donaldson on Thursday.

Istomin, 31, conserved some energy by closing out a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win over American Jared Donaldson.

Istomin is a three-time Brisbane quarter-finalist now, having been ousted in the last-eight round in 2012 and 2013.

The winner of their quarter-final will play the winner of Friday’s clash between Australia’s Alex de Minaur (208) and American 19-year-old Michael Mmoh (175) in a half of the draw vacated by Murray and fourth seed Milos Raonic.

Britain’s Kyle Edmond, ranked No.50, reached a second consecutive Brisbane quarter-final in the top half of the draw with a 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-4 win over South Korean Hyeon Chung.

Originally published as Brisbane International 2017: Round of 16 men’s singles coverage