World number 17 Kei Nishikori has come from a set down to beat fellow countryman Go Soeda 4-6 6-2 6-2.
The Japanese 22-year-old managed to recover from a closely-contested first-set defeat to fight back and advance from the first round of the Japan Open.
The eighth seed took just under two and a half hours to see off his 28-year-old opponent in Tokyo.
The victory will act as revenge for Nishikori, who was beaten by the world number 55 in Atlanta earlier this year.
