Tennis | ATP
All the leading fancies had few problems at the Paris Masters on Wednesday as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, David Ferrer, Juan Martin Del Potro, Thomas Berdych and Stanislas Wawrinka advanced to the third round.
Federer's 6-4, 6-4 victory over South African Kevin Anderson was enough to secure his spot at the World Tour Finals in London, his 12th straight appearance at the season's glamour finale.
"It's magnificent to come back to Paris which is close to my heart especially after 2009 (his only French Open triumph) and 2011," when he won the Paris Masters.
"I'm very happy to get the win tonight."
At a packed Bercy arena, world No 1 Nadal turned in a trademark swashbuckling display to defeat Spanish compatriot Marcel Granollers 7-5, 7-5.
Nadal, 27, hasn't played at the Paris tournament since 2009 and is attempting to become the first player since Andre Agassi in 1999 to win both the French Open and Paris Masters in the same year.
Nadal advances to a last-16 meeting against last year's surprise finalist Jerzy Janowicz.
The eight-time French Open winner, who is chasing a record sixth Masters title in the same season, said after the match he was happy to win but needs to improve.
"Can be difficult when your opponent serves well and you didn't play your best, so matches are very close, especially on a surface like this one.
"I didn't play well tonight. Something that can happen after two weeks without playing and after a long time without playing on indoors, this kind of surface," said Nadal.
"I have to improve a lot for tomorrow. That's the other thing. I hope to be ready to do it.
On court one, Philipp Kohlschreiber blew away two-time Paris semifinalist and German compatriot Tommy Haas 6-2, 6-2 and set himself up for a crack at Federer and a potential last-eight matchup against Del Potro.
Defending champion Ferrer was pushed to three sets by Czech Lukas Rosol in his opening match before easing into the last-16, 6-0, 2-6, 6-3.
The experience of the 31-year-old French Open runner-up proved decisive in the decider as Ferrer consistently put pressure on the Rosol serve and was rewarded with a third-round tie against Frenchman Gilles Simon.
The Nice native, a beaten semifinalist last year in Paris against Janowicz, defeated Nicolas Mahut in a marathon 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3) second-round matchup.
"It was very difficult for both of us and we both had problems," said a relieved Simon.
"It's the last tournament of the year and we're ready to die out there but I'm very, very happy to have won this match."
Argentine fourth seed Del Potro made it 14 wins from 15 matches since the US Open as he downed returning Tour veteran Marin Cilic.
The 25-year-old, who won his fourth ATP title of the year last weekend at Basle, withstood 19 aces from his opponent before closing out a tense encounter 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) against the Croatian.
"This is a really big tournament and very important for all the players so I'm very happy to have won and hope to go far in the tournament," said Del Potro.
Del Potro, who is playing what he said 'is the best tennis of my life', will next face dangerous Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
Now ranked 22nd in the world, he became the first player from his country to win an ATP title in the Open era last weekend at Stockholm beat Italian 16th seed Fabio Fognini 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
Wawrinka increased his chances of protecting his eighth-place ranking when he ground down Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
This year's US Open semifinalist now faces 13th seed Nicolas Almagro following the Spaniard's comfortable 6-4, 6-3 victory over Croatian Ivan Dodig.
Earlier, big-serving American John Isner bombarded Polish qualifier Michal Przysiezny with 27 aces on the way to a 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-3 second-round win and a third round matchup against Novak Djokovic.
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