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Murray on brink of World Finals after defeating Benneteau

Source: AFP | October 30, 2014, Thursday | Online Edition

ANDY Murray turned in a clinical performance on Wednesday as he joined 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 number 28 Julien Benneteau 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 number four 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 in 1hr 36min 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 was somewhat 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 star 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 number seven 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 number 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.

Later on centre court, world number two Roger Federer makes his much-anticipated debut in his second round match against another Frenchman, Jeremy Chardy.

Federer comes to the French capital less than 500 points behind Novak Djokovic in the race for the season-ending world number one spot.

There are a maximum 1,000 points on offer at Bercy for the champion while the World Tour Finals offer 1,500 points.

Federer can also close ground or overtake the Serb, who won his second round match over Philipp Kohlschreiber on Tuesday, when he plays the Davis Cup final for Switzerland against France, starting on November 21 in Lille.

Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori will take on Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo later in the day while Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils are in action against Austrian Jurgen Melzer and American John Isner respectively.

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