Andy Murray has turned in a clinical performance to join Stan Wawrinka, David Ferrer and Milos Raonic in the next round of the Paris Masters.
The two-time grand slam winner, who was absent last year afer undergoing back surgery, overcame the challenge of French world No.28 Julien Benneteau on Tuesday and advanced to the last 16, 6-3 6-4.
The 27-year-old Scot will now meet either Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov or Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay for a place in the quarter-finals.
If Murray, who won his third tournament of the season at Valencia on Sunday, wins his next match he will guarantee qualification for the World Tour Finals in London for the seventh straight year.
Murray dictated play with pinpoint accuracy and although Benneteau put up some second set resistence the result was never in doubt.
Also on Wednesday, world No.4 Stan Wawrinka snapped a three-game losing streak as he qualified for the third round with a 6-4 7-6 (8-6) victory over Dominic Thiem.
The Swiss 29-year-old came through a tight match against the Austrian to book a meeting with big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.
“I’m trying to find my confidence, I have some victories but I know that my level of game is there. What I still miss is winning matches,” said Wawrinka, who won his first grand slam at the Australian Open in January and admitted he remained surprised by his recent rise into the top five.
“I’m so happy, I didn’t think I would be able to be ranked so high, but I had ups and downs. In the summer I didn’t play very well and I had bad moments, although I did well in the US Open.
“I wouldn’t change anything and I know I have a good level of game. I know things can change quickly; I can lose first round and I can also go very far in a tournament, so the important thing is really to concentrate on improving my level.”
Former champion and fourth seed David Ferrer also advanced as he subdued the talents of rising Belgian David Goffin 6-3 2-6 6-3 to set up an all-Spanish third round tie against Fernando Verdasco.
Earlier on the third day of the penultimate tournament of the season, Canada’s Milos Raonic kept alive his chances of qualifying for the World Tour Finals with a tough three-set win over American qualifier Jack Sock.
The seventh seed needs to win the tournament in Paris to guarantee his place in the elite eight-man field to take part in the season finale, which begins in London on November 9.
He scraped through against world No.44 Sock, 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-4) in just over two hours.
Awaiting Raonic in the third round will be Roberto Bautista-Agut, who knocked out Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-2.
