Nadal sails to Bercy quarter-finals with Wawrinka defeat

PARIS: Rafael Nadal eased past Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday to boost his hopes of claiming the year-end world number one ranking by reaching the Paris Masters quarter-finals.

The 19-time Grand Slam champion is already guaranteed to usurp Novak Djokovic at the rankings summit next week, but winning a maiden Bercy title would secure the year-end top spot.

Nadal will face French wildcard and 2008 champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals on Friday after taking his impressive head-to-head record against three-time Grand Slam title-winner Wawrinka to 19-3.

Djokovic earlier booked his last-eight place with a 7-6 (9/7), 6-1 win over Britain´s Kyle Edmund.