THE top four seeds advanced through to the second round of the 2020 ATP BMW Open, but a couple of Frenchman continued to cause some headaches for opponents as they knocked out some highly rated clay courters.

The only real worry from the top four seeds perspective was second seed Matteo Berrettini going up against top 25 Canadian, Felix Auger-Aliassime. It took Berrettini three sets and a deciding set tiebreaker to finally get past the talented teenager, winning 7-5 2-6 7-6 in two hours and 40 minutes. For the other three title contenders it was a little easier with number one seeded German Alexander Zverev, third seed Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut and fourth seed Argentinian Diego Schwartzman all making it through unscathed in straight sets.

Zverev defeated American John Isner 6-4 6-1, Bautista Agut downed Zverev’s sole compatriot remaining in Jan-Lennard Struff 6-0 7-6, and Schwarzman knocked out Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 6-4. Seventh seed Chilean Cristian Garin also moved through to the next round, but spent more than three hours on court for his epic battle and eventual win over Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund, 6-7 6-3 7-6.

The going was not so fortunate for fifth seed Russian Andrey Rublev, who suffered defeat at the hands of Benoit Paire. The Frenchman has been in poor form this year, but he has shown some promising signs in Munich with a 6-4 7-6 triumph over the up and coming top 15 player. Paire joined compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter finals after the latter won in three sets over giant-killer Guido Pella, 6-4 3-6 6-3.

In the final match of the round, Great Britain’s Andy Murray stunned the crowd with a 6-1 6-2 rout of Norway’s Casper Ruud. The clay court specialist had no answers against the Grand Slam winner, losing in an hour and 12 minutes.

Tomorrow’s quarter finals sees Murray taking on Berrettini and Bautista Agut facing Tsonga in the morning, before Zverev and Garin do battle in the match of the day, before Schwartzman and Pella go head-to-head in the late game.

ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[1] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated John Isner (USA) 6-4 6-1
[2] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 6-5 2-6 7-6
[3] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) defeated Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 6-0 7-6
[4] Diego Schwartzman (ARG) defeated Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 6-3 6-4
Benoit Paire (FRA) defeated [5] Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-4 7-6
[7] Cristian Garin (CHI) defeated Kyle Edmund (GBR) 6-7 6-3 7-6
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) defeated Guido Pella (ARG) 6-4 3-6 6-3
Andy Murray (GBR) defeated Casper Ruud (NOR) 6-1 6-2