BNP Paribas Masters 2014: Daily Scores, Results and Paris Masters Draw Schedule

Novak Djokovic put in a magnificent performance to beat Milos Raonic in the final of the Paris Masters, strengthening his grip on his No. 1 ATP ranking. The Serb triumphed 6-2, 6-3 in the final to claim his 20th Masters title.

Roger Federer's shock loss to Raonic in the quarter-finals of the 2014 Paris Masters made his quest to finish the year in the top spot on the ATP rankings all the more difficult, something that was compouned by Djokovic's eventual success.

Currently ranked No. 2 in the ATP world rankings, Federer knew that a strong finish to his campaign could see him end the year top of the pile, something he admitted was in his sights after the triumph in Switzerland, per the Mail Online:

"

It would be very special, you can't say it's not important, world number one, it's what it's all about really, together with some tournaments you really care about

With the year I've had and the amount of finals I've played, the level of tennis I've played, I'm really pleased that I have a shot at being there. But I'm sure Novak will be very motivated. It's going to be interesting weeks ahead.

"

A result in Paris was needed to accomplish that goal, however, and instead, the Swiss star will now have to aim for the Finals in London, where he and Djokovic will resume their battle to finish the year top of the pile.

Kei Nishikori's win over David Ferrer means the field is set for the ATP World Tour Finals in London, as Ferrer can no longer overtake Raonic in the Race. 

All stats courtesy of atpworldtour.com

Draw and Schedule

Zhong Zhi/Getty Images

Seeding

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB)

2. Roger Federer (SUI)

3. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)

4. David Ferrer (ESP)

5. Tomas Berdych (CZE)

6. Kei Nishikori (JPN)

7. Milos Raonic (CAN)

8. Andy Murray (GBR)

All seedings courtesy of atpworldtour.com

For the full BNP Paribas Masters draw, click here

The Race To London rankings can be found here

Nov. 2: Imperious Novak Djokovic Triumphs

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Nov. 2 Results

Men's Singles

[1] Novak Djokovic defeats [7] Milos Raonic: 6-2, 6-3

Men's Doubles

[1] Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan defeat Marcin Matkowski and Jurgen Melzer: 7-6 (5), 5-7, 10-6

Novak Djokovic was too good for Milos Raonic in the final of the Paris Masters, sailing to a 6-2, 6-3 win in just shy of 90 minutes. The win for the Serb strengthens his stranglehold on his No. 1 ATP ranking ahead of the upcoming finals in London.

After reaching the last two, Djokovic played his finest tennis of the week when it mattered most. He was superior to the Canadian—who knocked Roger Federer out in the quarter-finals—in every facet of his game, dispatching of a notoriously awkward opponent with a swagger.

This win was made especially sweet for Djokovic as it was his first tournament victory since becoming a father. His wife Jelena gave birth to a son last month, and the 27-year-old was naturally delighted in the aftermath of what was his 600th career win, per BBC Sport:

"

It's beautiful to win my first match after becoming a father.

I played my best match of the week. I'm very happy to have the opportunity to stand here with the trophy.

"

Raonic has enjoyed an excellent year and showcased his talent with some fine displays in the French capital. But after losing his first service game of the match, there was a lingering sense that overcoming the effervescent Djokovic might prove to be a step too far for him. 

The world No.1 was sublime in the opening set, but when Raonic came back at him, Djokovic showcased his resilience too, saving three break points before going on to serve out the set. Such is his marriage of desirable attributes, from this point on it was always difficult to see the big-serving Canadian coming out on top.

The second set followed much the same pattern, with Djokovic accruing another early break of serve and putting his opponent on the back foot. There were glimmers of outstanding quality from Raonic, but when the clinch points came along, there was always a sense that the Serb had the edge and probably a couple more gears to surge through if needed.

After serving out the second set and making it two tournament wins in a row at the Paris Masters, the challenge for Djokovic is to preserve this dazzling form for the end of season showpiece. This latest triumph was the seven-time slam winner's 27th in succession on indoor courts and a few more victories in the ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in London would cap off another prosperous season for Djokovic.

Statistics courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com and BBC Sport 

Nov. 1: Novak Djokovic, Milos Raonic Qualify for Final

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Nov. 1 Results

Men's Singles

[1] Djokovic defeats [6] Kei Nishikori: 6-2, 6-3

[7] Milos Raonic defeats [5] Tomas Berdych: 6-3, 3-6, 7-5

Men's Doubles

Marcin Matkowski and Jurgen Melzer defeat [5] Marc Lopez and Marcel Granollers: 6-2, 6-3

[1] Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan defeat [8] Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau: 6-3, 6-3

Novak Djokovic is in sensational form as the ATP World Tour Finals in London draws ever closer, taking care of Japan's Kei Nishikori in two short sets to qualify for the final in Paris.

Defending his title, the Serb took emphatic revenge for his US Open semi-final loss earlier this season, surrendering just a single break to his Japanese opponent.

Djokovic's serve was clicking, but the World No. 1 dominated the rallies from the opening exchange and made the difference by playing excellent defence and solid, aggressive offence.

Nishikori had no answers in the first set and very little in the second, as The Joker simply had one of those days where everything is working. The biggest spot of trouble he ever found himself in was with the umpire, as he was punished for a time violation, via Live Tennis.

As shared by Tennis Trotteur's Adeline Auger, Djokovic told reporters his coach Boris Becker is pushing him to success in Paris, as he said: "Boris keeps telling me that he's won this tournament 3 times so it's a bit of a challenge for me!"

He'll face Milos Raonic in the final after the Canadian battled to a win against Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych.

The 23-year-old service specialist showed his form by beating Roger Federer in the quarter-final, and he picked up right where he left off in the first serve, bombarding Berdych to run out to a 6-3 lead.

The Czech discovered his return game early in the second, neutralizing Raonic's biggest weapon and tying things up quickly. The final set was close until Raonic took a 6-5 lead, and Berdych had to serve to stay in the match.

Up 15-0, he committed four unforced errors in a row, including two double faults, to lose the match. Berdych smashed his racket as he left the court, furious with himself over what had just occurred.

Oct. 31: Roger Federer Shocked by Milos Raonic

Jacques Brinon/Associated Press

Oct. 31 Results

Men's Singles

[5] Tomas Berdych defeats [14] Kevin Anderson: 6-7, 6-4, 6-4

[7] Milos Raonic defeats [2] Roger Federer: 7-6, 7-5

[1] Novak Djokovic defeats [8]Andy Murray: 7-5, 6-2

[6] Kei Nishikori defeats [4] David Ferrer: 3-6, 7-6, 6-4

Men's Doubles

[1] Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan defeat Leander Paes and Stan Wawrinka: 6-3, 6-3

Marcin Matkowski and Jurgen Melzer defeat [7] Rohan Bopanna and Daniel Nestor: 6-4, 7-6

[5] Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez defeat Pablo Cuevas and Santiago Giraldo: 6-3, 6-2

Roger Federer's bid to finish the season atop the ATP rankings took a massive hit on Friday, as he was upset by Canada's Milos Raonic during the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters.

Raonic's serve made the difference from the very start, as he fired in an incredible 21 aces, never allowing Federer to get into a rhythm on the Canadian's serve. He had only broken the Swiss star's serve once in six previous meetings, but on Friday, his new tactic worked out beautifully.

Federer looked solid on his own serve but grew increasingly frustrated as Raonic simply didn't allow him to make anything happen in the return game, and a tie-break was the logical conclusion of the first set.

The second set had a similar pattern, but at 6-5, Raonic finally scored his second ever break of Federer and closed out the match in style.

Andy Murray was able to keep pace with Novak Djokovic until 5-5 in the first set before the Serb shifted gear on his way to a relatively comfortable win in straights sets.

The Scot's serve had been his biggest weapon coming into the match, but after six weeks of non-stop competition, fatigue finally appeared to set in. While the placement was still there, the pace as all but gone, and the Joker had little difficulty responding.

Murray appeared to throw in the towel when his Djokovic broke his serve for the second straight time, going up 4-2, and the rallies we've come to expect whenever these two titans meet lost their luster. Murray can still feel good about his performances in these past weeks, but he'll need to rest to regain his fitness ahead of the London event.

Kevin Anderson gave Tomas Berdych all he could handle, but the fifth seed overcame seven double faults and a loss in the first set to beat his South African challenger, becoming the first player to qualify for this year's semi-finals.

Friday's win also means the Czech has now qualified for the Finals in London for the fifth straight year.

Berdych struggled to control his serve in the opening set, hitting on just 51 percent of his attempts. The Czech didn't show any aggression in the return game and never looked like winning the tie-break, as Anderson appeared to be in control.

Things changed in the second set, however, as Berdych started bombarding Anderson with better placement on his serve and he stepped up more into the court in the return game. Recovering from a break in the third, he finished the match strongly, a boost with an eye on a semi-final against Raonic.

Kei Nishikori booked his ticket to the semi-final with a hard-fought win over David Ferrer, needing two hours and 43 minutes to get past the Spaniard.

The Paris crowd was treated to a fantastic match filled with long rallies, as Ferrer took the opening set before Nishikori kicked into gear in the second. Down 4-0 in the tie-break, the Japanese sixth seed produced a stunning comeback to tie things up at 1-1.

Both players refused to give an inch in the final set until Nishikori finally broke Ferrer's serve at 4-4, and he served his way into the semi-final in the following game.

Oct. 30: Andy Murray Continues Fine Play, Stan Wawrinka Suffers Upset

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Oct. 30 Results

Men's Singles

[4] David Ferrer defeats Fernando Verdasco: 6-1, 6-2

[14] Kevin Anderson defeats [3] Stan Wawrinka: 6-7, 7-5, 7-6

[5] Tomas Berdych defeats [12] Feliciano Lopez: 7-5, 6-3

[8] Andy Murray defeats [9] Grigor Dimitrov: 6-3, 6-3

[1] Novak Djokovic defeats Gael Monfils: 6-3, 7-6

[6] Kei Nishikori defeats [10]Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 6-1, 4-6, 6-4

[7] Milos Raonic defeats [11] Roberto Bautistaagut: 7-5, 7-6

[2] Roger Federer defeats Lucas Puille: 6-4, 6-4

Men's Doubles

Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau defeat Eric Butorac and Raven Klaasen: 5-7, 6-1, 10-6

[1] Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan defeat Kevin Anderson and Nenad Zimonjic: 6-3, 6-2

Marcin Matkowski and Jurgen Melzer defeat [4] Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo: 6-3, 2-1

Pablo Cuevas and Santiago Giraldo defeat [2] Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares: 6-4, 7-6

Andy Murray continued his fine late-season form by dominating Grigor Dimitrov during Thursday's third-round matches, booking his ticket for the quarter-finals.

The Scot opened strongly, with his service firing on all cylinders. In just under one hour and 10 minutes, Murray mustered seven aces and won an impressive 93 percent of points on his first serve, never surrendering a single break chance.

His Bulgarian opponent had no answers, winning just 60 percent of his first serves and hitting two double faults against no aces.

The win guarantees Murray a spot at this year's World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London, regardless of how the final stages of the Paris Masters play out. And judging by Murray's excellent form, there's no reason the Scot can't contend for his first ever Finals win.

While Novak Djokovic once again looks like the unstoppable machine fans have come to expect, Rafael Nadal won't be participating in London. Roger Federer will, but the Swiss star struggled tremendously against Jeremy Chardy.

David Ferrer is in equally impressive form, as evidenced by his dominant win over Fernando Verdasco, but the Spaniard is yet to qualify for the event.

As for Stan Wawrinka, the current No. 4 in the Race is arguably in the worst form of his life, as L'Equipe's Carole Brouchard noted.

"Wawrinka's confidence seems to be so low, unbelievable," Brouchard tweeted. "Seemed to be doubting every shot, every choice. Tough one. Big match from Anderson."

Ultimately, Murray's chances in London will come down to his excellent form, rather than the struggles of his opponents. Against Dimitrov, he served up another aggressive, dominant performance while eliminating the errors and timing his rushes to the net better than he did earlier in the year.

The first serve is Murray's strongest weapon right now, as the Scot seems to be taking a little pace off the ball in favour of better timing and placement. Aces are great, but Murray is keeping rallies short by keeping his opponents on their heels from the opening serve, a far more efficient approach.

Perhaps most important is Murray's calmness on the court. The two-time Grand Slam winner looks more focused than ever before, and his early-season struggles may have something to do with that. As shared by Sky Sports, he clearly hasn't forgotten about them yet, noting that Murray signed the camera with the words "Bad Year" after his match was over.

Murray will face Djokovic in the quarter-finals, and fans can't wait to see the Scot face off against the in-form Serb.

Djokovic easily took care of Gael Monfils in straight sets later in the day, following the example of Kei Nishikori, who is still battling for his Final's fate.

The Joker gave his French opponent no chance in the first set before losing his focus for a handful of games in the second. The Serb rebounded nicely, however, dominating the tie-break for his ticket to the next round.

Federer took a surprising amount of resistance from qualifier Lucas Pouille, who somehow found a way to save an impressive eight out of 10 break chances, but the Swiss veteran played clean tennis on his own serve and took care of business when it mattered, winning 6-4, 6-4.

The 20-year-old Pouille has impressed in recent weeks and was given a standing ovation from the Bercy crowd for his heroic performance, but with Federer looking like the dominant force we've all come to know and love once again, there was little he could do to stop the Swiss on his quest from regaining the ATP World Tour No. 1 spot.

Oct. 29: Andy Murray Dominates Julien Benneteau to Make Third Round

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Oct. 29 Results

Men's Singles

[3] Stan Wawrinka defeats Dominic Thiem: 6-4, 7-6(6)

[11] Roberto Bautista Agut defeats Richard Gasquet: 6-4, 6-2

[4] David Ferrer defeats David Goffin: 6-3, 2-6, 6-3

[7] Milos Raonic defeats Jack Sock: 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(4)

[8] Andy Murray defeats Julien Benneteau: 6-3, 6-4

[9] Grigor Dimitrov defeats Pablo Cuevas: 6-0, 6-3

[12] Feliciano Lopez defeats Sam Querrey: 6-4, 6-4

[2] Roger Federer defeats Jeremy Chardy: 7-6, 6-7, 6-4

[10] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Jurgen Melzer: 6-2, 4-6, 6-2

[6] Kei Nishikori defeats Tommy Robredo: 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3

Lucas Pouille defeats [16] Fabio Fognini: 7-6(5), 7-6(7)

Gael Monfils defeats [13] John Isner: 6-4, 7-6(4)

Men's Doubles

[7] Rohan Bopanna & Daniel Nestor defeat David Marrero & Fernando Verdasco: 6-4, 6-0

[5] Marcel Granollers & Marc Lopez defeat Juan Sebastian Cabal & Robert Farah: 6-3, 7-4(6)

Leander Paes & Stan Wawrinka defeat [6] Vasek Pospisil & Jack Sock: 6-1, 6-4

Kevin Anderson & Nenad Zimonjic defeat Dominic Inglot & Florin Mergea: 6-3, 3-6, 12-10

Eric Butorac & Raven Klaasen defeat [3] Julien Benneteau & Edouard Roger-Vasselin: 6-4, 7-5

Jean-Julien Rojer & Horia Tecau defeat Lukasz Kubot & Robert Lindstedt: 7-6(3), 3-6, 10-5

Andy Murray confirmed his place in the third round of the 2014 BNP Paribas Masters with a dominant performance against Julien Benneteau. The British No. 1, who is one victory away from booking his spot at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, powered through the local favourite in two comfortable sets.

Benneteau started in disappointing form and was rarely able to find his rhythm. He appeared nervous, suffering three double faults during his opening service game, handing Murray the initiative right from the off. The Scot was in no mood to offer sympathy, firing a quartet of aces and winning 87 percent of his first service points in the opening set, per ATP's official stats.

Murray used the court effectively, hammering his shots deep toward the baseline to keep his opponent on the move. Benneteau's first break of the entire match arose with him trailing 4-1 in the second set.

While he missed his opening opportunity, the Frenchman eventually grabbed a game back and began to apply pressure on Murray for the first time. Benneteau gained ground with the serve and volley, then wrong-footed his opposite number with a cross-court shot that galvanised the fans' hopes of a comeback at 4-3.

Murray tightened up and looked less comfortable as he attempted to see out the match, but he won his final game to love to cap an excellent display.

"Even though he showed weariness in the second set he had broken Benneteau's spirit and quietened the crowd," said Simon Briggs of the Daily Telegraph, reported by Radio 5 and via BBC Sport.

The Scot will take on Grigor Dimitrov in his next match—the man who beat him at this year's Wimbledon—after the Bulgarian also came through his second round encounter in straight sets on Wednesday.

Dimitrov raced to his victory against Pablo Cuevas in just over an hour, the Uruguayan having to wait until the second set even to take a game as he was dispatched with ease.

Roger Federer continued his run of form as he took a three-set win over Jeremy Chardy, although the Swiss legend was made to work incredibly hard for his victory.

Having started slowly, Federer was able to force a tiebreak and win it to take the first set, but his French opponent was not about to lie down and accept defeat.

Chardy himself took a tiebreak victory in the second to level things up but Federer claimed an early break in set No. 3 and did not relinquish his advantage, winning the match in 151 minutes and keeping his hopes of overhauling Novak Djokovic as world No. 1 alive.

Elsewhere, Stan Wawrinka, Roberto Bautista Agut and David Ferrer progressed with little trouble. Wawrinka dominated Dominic Thiem, despite having to traverse a second set tie-break, while Agut eased beyond Gasquet without conceding a break.

Ferrer brushed off a second set meltdown—which saw him win just 60 percent of his first service points, 38 percent of his second—to move beyond David Goffin. Milos Raonic was forced to battle until the end against Jack Sock, but eventually toppled the gutsy American after a third set tie-break.

The local crowd had plenty to cheer about as three Frenchmen made it through on Wednesday. Jo-Wilfired Tsonga beating Jurgen Melzer in three sets while Gael Monfils beat John Isner in two along with qualifier Lucas Pouille beating Italy's Fabio Fognini.

The US Open's beaten finalist Kei Nishikori booked his own third-round spot with a win over Tommy Robredo, Murray's Valencia Open final opponent who was likely still recovering from Sunday's marathon match.

Oct. 28: Novak Djokovic Easily Progresses to 3rd Round

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Oct. 28 Results

Men's Singles

Fernando Verdasco defeats [15] Gilles Simon: 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

[14] Kevin Anderson defeats Santiago Giraldo: 6-4, 7-6

Gael Monfils defeats Joao Sousa: 6-1, 6-4

Pablo Cuevas defeats Leonardo Mayer: 7-6, 1-0

David Goffin defeats Lukas Rosol: 6-4, 6-3

Tommy Robredo defeats Vasek Pospisil: 6-3, 4-6, 7-6

Lucas Pouille defeats Ivo Karlovic: 6-1, 6-4

Jeremy Chardy defeats Kenny de Schepper: 7-6, 7-6

[1] Novak Djokovic defeats Philipp Kohlschreiber: 6-3, 6-4

[5] Tomas Berdych defeats Adrian Mannarino: 6-4, 6-7, 6-2

Men's Doubles

Eric Butorac and Raven Klaasen defeat Pierre-Hughues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut: 7-6, 7-6

Lukaz Kubot and Robert Lindstedt defeat Jeremy Chardy and Kenny de Schepper: 6-4, 6-1

David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco defeat Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 6-2, 6-2

Marcin Matkowski and Jurgen Melzer defeat Marin Draganja and Lukas Rosol: 6-4, 6-7, 10-7

Pablo Cuevas and Santiago Giraldo defeat John Isner and Sam Querrey: Walkover

Novak Djokovic recorded a simple win over Philipp Kohlschreiber in his first match in Paris, advancing to the third round in straight sets and taking his win streak on hard courts to 23 matches.

Djokovic put together a vintage performance in the first set, running out to a quick 5-1 lead before suffering a break, eventually serving for 6-3 and the set. While the Serb's power didn't shine through in his serve, he comfortably took the upper hand in the rallies and didn't commit any big errors.

Kohlschreiber put up more of a fight in the second set, taking more risks in his serve, but following Djokovic's early break, the Serb simply picked his spots and relied on his own serve to put the match away.

The No. 1 seed had a slight scare midway through the second set, when he came down hard on his right elbow. Djokovic was able to continue without any problems, however, marching to a routine win and a ticket to the third round.

While he was far from dominant, Djokovic never had to shift gears on Tuesday. With a very strong field competing in Paris, the final tournament before the Finals, preserving energy in the early rounds can be key.

Ivo Karlovic suffered a shock defeat at the hands of qualifier Lucas Pouille, losing in straight sets. The big-serving Croat found his match in the 20-year-old Pouille, who fired in more aces than Karlovic did, with nine against five.

His excellent passing shots stole the show, however, giving Karlovic virtually no chances to make plays near the net.

Gael Monfils had little difficulty with Portugal's Joao Sousa in his first tournament back from a knee injury, bringing the French crowd to a state of delirium with excellent play in an easy win.

The highlight of the match came late in the second set, with the Frenchman serving for the match. A long rally started near the net, and when Sousa played a solid passing shot, Monfils answered with a sensational drop shot.

Watch the highlight here, at the ATP's official website.

David Goffin, Tommy Robredo and Jeremy Chardy also took care of business in Round 2.

Wednesday will see the bulk of the top contenders for the Race to London in action, with Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, David Ferrer and Andy Murray all competing in the second round.

All stats courtesy of atpworldtour.com

Oct. 27: Gasquet and Benneteau Progress

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Oct. 27 Results

Men's Singles

Julien Benneteau defeats Yen-Hsun Lu: 6-2, 6-4

Richard Gasquet defeats Denis Istomin: 6-7(4), 6-2, 4-0 (retired)

Philipp Kohlschreiber defeats Edouard Roger-Vasselin: 6-3, 6-1

Dominic Thiem defeats Alexandr Dolgopolov: 6-2, 4-6, 6-0

Sam Querrey defeats Jerzy Janowicz: 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4

Adrian Mannarino defeats Pierre-Hugues Herbert: 7-6(3), 6-3

Santiago Giraldo defeats Mikhail Youzhny: 6-2, 6-4

Fernando Verdasco defeats Donald Young: 4-6, 6-1, 6-3

Jurgen Melzer defeats Guillermo Garcia-Lopez: 6-4, 6-1

Jack Sock defeats Pablo Andujar: 6-1, 6-1

Men's Doubles

Juan Sebastian Cabal & Robert Farah defeat Gael Monfils & Gilles Simon: 7-5, 6-4

Leander Paes & Stan Wawrinka defeat Feliciano Lopez & Max Mirnyi: 6-1, 2-6, 10-7

With the majority of the tournament's big names receiving a bye into the second round of the competition, Day 1 gave us a chance to look at some of the players hoping to spring a shock in Paris. And of all the players who showcased their talents on the opening day of the competition, the French pairing of Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet naturally hogged much of the spotlight.

For home crowd favourite Gasquet, things weren't going particularly well early on. He lost the first set on a tie-break to Denis Istomin but rallied in the second to square the match up. And just when we looked set for a thrilling final set, the match was cut short; Istomin was forced to retire with the score 4-0 to Gasquet in the decider.

Benneteau was the other man to draw the crowds on Day 1, and while Gasquet struggled to find his rhythm in front of the home support, the world No. 28 had no such problem. He took the first set 6-2 against Chinese Taipei player Yen-Hsun Lu and never looked ruffled, closing the match out in the second set with ease

The two Frenchmen were the main attractions on the opening day of the Paris tournament, but there were impressive displays from a host of other players worthy of note.

Philipp Kohlschreiber was excellent in his victory over Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Like Gasquet, Roger-Vasselin was roared on by the Parisians in attendance, but he was no match for the German, who produced a display bristling with purpose and power to triumph 6-3, 6-1 in just over an hour. 

Also shining on the opening day was 22-year-old American Jack Sock. The world No. 44 has improved mightily in 2014 and looks set to finish a prosperous season on a high; he was far too good for Pablo Andujar, triumphing 6-1, 6-1 on the day.

Elsewhere, there was a win for perpetually unflustered Fernando Verdasco, although he did have to come back from a set down to beat Donald Young. Jurgen Melzer, Sam Querrey and Santiago Giraldo also produced fine performances to cement their place in the second round.

All stats courtesy of atpworldtour.com