Paris, France (SportsNetwork.com) – Surging Scot Andy Murray was an easy
third-round winner Thursday at the $3.7 million Paris Masters.
The eighth-seeded former world No. 2 star humbled ninth-seeded Bulgarian
Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-3 on the indoor hardcourts at Paris’ Palais
Omnisports.
Murray could face world No. 1 star Novak Djokovic on Friday.
Murray is fresh off his title in Valencia, has won two straight and three of
his last five tournaments overall, and riding an 11-match winning streak.
A Day 4 upset came when 14th-seeded South African Kevin Anderson took out
third-seeded Australian Open champ Stan Wawrinka 6-7 (2-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
The 6-foot-8 Anderson will face 2005 Paris Masters titlist Tomas Berdych in
the quarterfinals.
Four other stars avoided upsets, as fourth-seeded David Ferrer drilled fellow
Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-2; a fifth-seeded Berdych handled 12th-
seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 6-3; sixth-seeded U.S. Open runner-up Kei
Nishikori held off 10th-seeded French favorite and former Paris Masters
champion and former runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 4-6, 6-4; and seventh-
seeded Milos Raonic tackled 11th seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 7-5, 7-6
(9-7).
Ferrer titled here two years ago and was last year’s Paris Masters runner-
up to the two-time titlist Djokovic. The Spaniard’s quarterfinal opponent
will be Nishikori.
This marks the final tournament of the regular season on the ATP World Tour.
