• Shanghai Masters

Murray passes stern Chardy examination in China

Andy Murray was too strong for Jeremy Chardy © Getty Images

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Andy Murray guaranteed his place in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals by disposing of Jeremy Chardy in the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

Although the world No. 4 was able to secure a straight-sets victory - triumphing 6-3 6-4 in minutes - the match was an uncomfortable one, particularly in the first set.

But Murray, who is looking to end a frustrating year on a high note, battled through difficult circumstances to set up a quarter-final against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The Scot had won both previous meetings between the players, although those successes were troublesome enough to single out Chardy as a difficult opponent - and he lived up to that billing in the opening exchanges.

Murray had to save five break points on his way to winning a first set that was far more awkward than he had experienced in his second-round match against Yan Bai.

Murray's first serve was misfiring in the opening set - he was accurate with less than half of his attempts - but his returning was impeccable. He was able to claim a break despite Chardy, who was sending deliveries down with real venom, completing the set with a first-serve percentage of 80.

Before the match, Murray indicated that he wanted to inject more aggression into his game and take the fight to his opponent - but that was no easy task in the early stages of the second set as Chardy came out firing to take a 3-2 lead.

The Frenchman's resistance was punctured in the seventh game as he finally caved in to Murray's pressure by producing a double fault that yielded a break. That disappointment appeared to knock the stuffing from Chardy, and Murray was able to close out the match with a minimum of fuss.

After the encounter Murray, who suffered a hugely disappointing third-round exit at the US Open, insisted that his game was showing signs of improvement. "I hit the ball very clean from the back," he told Sky Sports. "I'm starting to move better and I thought I served well when I needed to."

If the 23-year-old comes through his last-eight clash with Tsonga, he is on course to meet Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.