Andy Murray faces David Goffin in Shanghai Masters quarter-finals
Friday 14 October 2016 11:04, UK
Andy Murray will face David Goffin in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals and all four matches will be live on Sky Sports 1 from 6am.
Just four seeds remain in the penultimate Masters 1000 event of the year with Murray joined by the 11th seeded Goffin, the top ranked Novak Djokovic and ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Murray has won all four meetings with Goffin without dropping a set including their only meeting this season, a 6-1 7-5 victory in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters, but the Belgian is playing with a sense of purpose as he chases a place at the season-ending World Tour Finals.
The pair will kick off the evening schedule so will not be on court until 11am.
Murray is one of five players to have confirmed their spot at the O2 next month but Goffin's challenge has been inspired by a run to the final in Tokyo last week where he lost to Nick Kyrgios, and the early exit of a host of challengers for a top-eight spot.
Goffin beat Monfils in the third round on Thursday meaning that the Frenchman joined Tomas Berdych, Marin Cilic and Rafael Nadal in players ranked above the Belgian to be knocked out of the tournament, which means he is now up to 10th in the standings.
However, the 25-year-old will have to improve on his showing against Murray in the past, the world No 2 has won all 10 sets they have played with Goffin's only victory coming when Murray was forced to withdraw through injury in Rome last year.
Murray is in fantastic form himself and will be keen to continue his own pursuit on the the world No 1 ranking as well as a sixth title of the year, having already claimed a second Wimbledon crown and second Olympic gold medal in a terrific second half of the season.
Murray's only Masters success this year came in Rome but he will fancy his chances of progress with either Jack Sock or Gilles Simon awaiting if he can overcome world No 12 Goffin.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic is chasing a fifth Masters title of the year and has been largely untroubled in beating Vasek Pospisil and Fabio Fognini.
Standing in his way of a semi-final place is surprise quarter-finalist Mischa Zverev who, not to be outdone by his younger brother Alexander, has achieved a career best showing in 1000 series events.
Alexander has risen to No 21 in the world and earlier this year became the first teenager in eight years to win an ATP Tour final when he claimed the title in St Petersburg.
However, Mischa, who is ranked 110 in the world, came through qualifying to book his place in the main event and the 29-year-old has beaten Zhang Ze, Nick Kyrgios and Marcel Granollers to set up a second career meeting with Djokovic, the pair first met back in 2009 when the Serb came through in straight sets in Marseille.
Kicking off the day's quarter-final action is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga up against Roberto Bautista Agut.
Tsonga is playing in his first tournament since knee surgery after an injury suffered at the US Open and impressed so far, while Bautista Agut has been a consistent performer in his best year on tour.
However, the Spaniard is playing in his first quarter-final of the year, while Tsonga was beaten by Djokovic in the Shanghai final last year and could face a repeat in the last four if both men come through their last eight encounters.
And the final match of the evening will see the unseeded pair of Jack Sock and Gilles Simon after they both provided two huge upsets on Thursday.
Sock ended a run of eight straight defeats to Milos Raonic by beating the Canadian in three sets, while Simon produced a superb display to stun US Open champion Stan Wawrinka in straight sets.
Follow the Shanghai Masters on Sky Sports all week with all four quarter-finals underway from 6am on Sky Sports 1 on Friday.
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