By Chris Oddo | Monday June 5 2017
Andy Murray eased past Russia's Karen Khachanov to book a spot next to No.8-seeded Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals.
Photo Source: Roland Garros
Suddenly Andy Murray is looking like the World No.1 again. Last year’s runner-up put forth his second consecutive brilliant performance on Monday in Paris, dropping just seven second-serve points in a decisive 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over first-rime Grand Slam quarterfinalist Karen Khachanov.
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"I think today was probably the best I have played overall,” Murray said of his performance after the match. “It was difficult conditions. It was pretty windy out there. Wasn't easy.”
Murray’s victory sets up a quarterfinal clash with Japan’s Kei Nishikori. The No.8 seed bounced bag from a first-set drubbing to take down Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0.
Murray leads the lifetime head-to-head with Nishikori 8-2 and he has taken their only meeting on clay.
Murray dropped a set in each of his first two rounds in Paris and his form had did little to inspire belief that he might put his injury concerns behind and cast himself among the favorites. That has changed over the last two rounds, as today’s win and his third-round takedown of Juan Martin del Potro may have been his two best performances of the season.
"Each match, I feel like I played better,” he said. “I have hit the ball cleaner and started to see the right shots at the right moments. Yeah, I've come a long way the last 10 days or so."
Though never known as a clay-courter, Murray reached his 7th Roland Garros quarterfinal and moved into fourth place on the Open Era list. He improved his lifetime record at Roland Garros to 38-9.
Murray finished with 29 winners against just 14 unforced errors, and he won 75 percent of his second-serve points.
It was Murray’s 650th tour-level win.
Nishikori reached his 7th Grand Slam quarterfinal with his win over Verdasco and has made the last eight in Paris for the second time.