Mexican Open 2014: Andy Murray progresses to quarterfinal after straight sets victory over Portugal's Joao Sousa

Andy Murray plays a backhand during his victory at the Mexico Open (GETTY IMAGES)

Andy Murray reached the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Portugal's Joao Sousa on Thursday morning.

The seventh-ranked Murray needed three sets in the first round to beat Spaniard Pablo Andujar, but put in a more authoritative performance against Sousa and set up a clash with France's Gilles Simon in the last eight.

Top seed David Ferrer beat Spanish compatriot Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (1), 6-2 to advance to his fifth-straight Mexican Open quarterfinal.

Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africa's Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4.

"I believe `Feli' (Lopez) had several chances in the first set but didn't take advantage of them", Ferrer said. "It was a tough one for me because he*s a very smart player and knows my game".

Also Wednesday, Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatia's Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2.

On the women's side of the combined ATP-WTA tournament, top-seeded Dominika Cibulkova reached the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium.

"I'm still struggling with my serve, but I got another win so I'm happy", Cibulkova said.

Cibulkova has won her first matches on tour since her run to the Australian Open final and will next play Marina Erakovic of New Zealand, who defeated Serbia's Bojana Jovanovski 6-1, 6-4.

Also moved onto the next round were the second and third seeds, Eugenie Bouchard, from Canada, who defefeated Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena 7-5, 6-2 and Estonia's Kaia Kanepi who ousted Germany's Julia Goerges, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6.

Shuai Zhang of China beat Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1, 6-4; America's Christina McHale knocked out Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan 7-5, 6-1; Croatia's Ajla Tomljanovic eliminated Victoria Duval of the United States 6-3, 6-0; and France's Caroline Garcia downed Sharon Fichman of Canada 6-2, 7-5.