Andy Murray powers past Jeremy Chardy into quarter-finals

The Scottish third seed was made to work hard, with Chardy claiming the second set and producing brilliant tennis to break at the start of the third.

But the local hope failed to sustain his level, and Murray upped his game at exactly the right moment: he broke back immediately and never looked back thereafter before running out a 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-3 winner.

Murray will face Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer in what will be his 17th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final.

But he will have no illusion of the task that awaits if he is to go further: Ferrer is a formidably dangerous opponent who Murray has never beaten on clay, and who showed his form with an impressive 6-2 6-2 6-4 win over Marin Cilin on Monday.

The Scot won two clay titles in the run-up to the French Open, but will need to be at his best if he is to beat Ferrer and make the semi-finals for the second year running and the third time in five years.

[MEN'S ROUND-UP: Roger Federer breezes past Gael Monfils and into quarter-finals at Roland Garros]