Spain's Fernando Verdasco has booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open with a straight-sets victory over South African Kevin Anderson.

In a tight opening set, the world number 19 found an elusive break of serve in the fifth game before he went on to take the set 6-4.

There was again nothing to separate the players in the second, but the wily Verdasco broke serve to go 5-4 ahead as he served out the match 6-4.

The former Australian Open semi-finalist will now take on Japanese world number 17 Kei Nishikori for a place in the last four.