Summary World number one Murray will face Sam Querrey, for a place in the semi-finals
LONDON (AFP) - Defending champion Andy Murray reached a 10th successive Wimbledon quarter-final Monday as fellow heavyweights Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic attempted to join him.
Top seed Murray eased to a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-4 win over France s Benoit Paire, who was trying to make the last eight for the first time at a tournament he once described as greatly "displeasing" him.
World number one Murray will face Sam Querrey, who he leads 7-1 in career meetings, for a place in the semi-finals.
"I thought I played well. Maybe a couple of sloppy service games in the first set but that was by far the best I d hit the ball so far in the tournament. So I m really pleased with that," said Murray.
Only Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors (11 each) have reached more consecutive Wimbledon quarter-finals than Murray.
The 30-year-old s progress is particularly noteworthy as he came into the tournament nursing a hip injury.
"Two weeks ago I was resting, I was also a little bit concerned. When you re having issues a few days before a big event, it s frustrating," said Murray who has now made the last-eight in 24 of his last 26 appearances at the majors.
"I ve managed it well and I think I ve played some good stuff. That was the best I ve played so far in the tournament. I m doing well so hopefully I keep it up," he said.
Murray s win meant that with Johanna Konta also making the last-eight in the women s tournament, it is the first time since 1973 that Britain has two players in the quarter-finals.
Querrey, the US 24th seed who knocked out Novak Djokovic in 2016, made the quarter-finals for a second successive year with a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-7 (13/11), 6-3 over unseeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
Later Monday, Djokovic takes a 1-0 career edge over unseeded Adrian Mannarino of France into his clash, with that win coming at Wimbledon in straight sets in the second round last year.
- Record chasing -
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Djokovic is bidding to make the last-eight for the ninth time.
Federer, bidding for a record eighth Wimbledon title, faces Grigor Dimitrov boasting a 5-0 record over the man once tipped as his natural heir.
Federer is attempting to reach the quarter-finals for the 15th time and set an Open era record for Wimbledon.
It would also be a 50th Grand Slam quarter-final.
Nadal, fresh from a 10th French Open title, faces fellow left-hander Gilles Muller.
The Spaniard is looking to make the quarter-finals for the first time since 2011 when he was runner-up.
Nadal has a 5-1 record over Muller, although the Luxembourg grass court specialist beat him at Wimbledon in 2005.
The two-time Wimbledon winner is bidding to reach the last-eight at the Slams for a 32nd time against a player who has gone that far just once -- at the 2008 US Open.
However, Muller has never defeated a top five player in 22 attempts.
Croatian seventh seed Marin Cilic reached a fourth successive Wimbledon quarter-final with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over Roberta Bautista Agut of Spain.
Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, will look to reach his first semi-final at the All England Club when he faces Nadal or Muller.
The day s other last-16 matches feature eighth seed Dominic Thiem, looking to become just the second Austrian man to reach the quarters, facing 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych.
Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, the runner-up last year, was facing German 10th seed Alexander Zverev, who has never made the quarters of any major.
