Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, the man he usurped as world No. 1, Roger Federer, and pretender Andy Murray all marched into the last 16 at the Paris Masters on Wednesday with straight sets wins.
French Open, Wimbledon and Olympic champion Nadal knocked Federer off his perch in August after the Swiss had spent a record 239 weeks at the top of the heap and looked fresh as he swept past unseeded Frenchman Florent Serra 6-2, 6-4.
Federer looked rustier in winning 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) against Swede Robin Soderling — a man he has now beaten eight times in as many meetings, while Murray was little troubled by modest US hope Sam Querrey as he steamed through 6-2, 6-4 to book a meeting with Spanish 15th seed Fernando Verdasco.
PHOTO: EPA
Nadal, who has won a tour-leading eight titles this year, was never in danger against a man he has now beaten three times this year for the loss of just 11 games. But Federer had to sweat in a second-set tie-break against Soderling, who threw away two set points before the Swiss won through to face Marin Cilic.
Feisty Scot Murray is still on course to become the first man to win three straight Masters events after he blitzed Querrey.
After a bright start Murray, conceded his serve in the eighth game of the second set, but broke straight back. He then flunked three match points, but stormed the net to put away a volley at the fourth time of asking.
Also advancing was US 11th seed James Blake, defeating Italian Simone Bolelli 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-4.
Argentine David Nalbandian beat German veteran Nicolas Kiefer 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to secure a third meeting in less than a month with Davis Cup teammate Juan Martin del Potro.
Elsewhere, French 10th seed Gilles Simon moved on to a meeting with US world No. 6 Andy Roddick by coming back from 0-4 down in the second set to see off Russian Igor Andreev 6-3, 7-5. Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko ousted Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 and next plays Tomas Berdych, who defeated Stanislas Wawrinka.
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