Tuesday 28 October 2014 00:40, UK
Andy Murray will open his campaign at the Paris Masters with a second round clash against Julien Benneteau.
The veteran Frenchman recorded a 6-3 6-4 victory over Yen-Hsun Lu in the first round to set up a clash with the British No 1, who was given a bye into the round of 32.
Murray is virtually assured of a place in the ATP World Tour Finals but will look to continue a rich vein of form which has seen him win three tournaments over the past month.
Elsewhere, Dominic Thiem made his BNP Paribas Masters debut a winning one, overcoming Alexandr Dolgopolov in three sets on Monday.
The 21-year-old Austrian saw-off Dolgopolov 6-2 4-6 6-0 in 87 minutes, winning with an ace down the middle.
His reward is a second round clash with third seed Stan Wawrinka, whom he beat at the Mutua Madrid Open in May - his first victory over a Top 10 player.
Elsewhere in the first round, US qualifier Sam Querrey came from behind to beat Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-4, notching 17 aces to set up a meeting with 12th seed Feliciano Lopez.
Home favourite Richard Gasquet dropped the first set against Denis Istomin but turned things around and eventually progressed when his opponent retired with score reading 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 4-0 in the Frenchman's favour.
Columbia’s Santiago Giraldo beat Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny for the first time in their third meeting, prevailing 6-2 6-4. He won when Youzhny’s backhand return drifted long and he next faces 14th seed Kevin Anderson.
In other action, France’s Adrian Mannarino beat compatriot Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6 (7/3) 6-3, but fellow Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin was knocked out 6-3 6-1 by Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Spain’s Fernando Verdasco was made to work to win against Donald Young, coming from behind to beat the American 4-6 6-1 6-3.
