Erste Bank Open 2014: Andy Murray into last-eight to keep ATP World Tour Finals hopes alive

The Scot beat Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4 in the second round

Andy Murray of Britain returns the ball to Vasek Pospisil of Canada (EPA)

Andy Murray boosted his chances of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals after beating Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.

Murray, who is ranked No 11 in the world, needs to climb inside the top eight to book his place at the season-ending showpiece in London next month.

The Scot changed his schedule, opting to play in the Vienna tournament for the first time in a bid to secure valuable rankings points following a disappointing defeat to Spain’s David Ferrer in the third round of the Shanghai Masters last week.

Murray (below) will now face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarter-finals. The 27-year-old was never at his free-flowing best in the match, handing Pospisil chances in both sets to take the initiative, but Murray made his experience count to close out a straight-sets victory.

World No 5 Ferrer is also through after beating Tobias Kamke. Yet Murray’s bid to reach the World Tour Finals was handed a welcome fillip when Canada’s Milos Raonic, who is also in the running to make the tournament, lost to Ricardas Berankis in the second round of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

Murray’s former coach Ivan Lendl has said he is not planning on returning to coaching “anytime soon” after turning down a request from fellow Czech Tomas Berdych to work with him.

Lendl ended a two-year partnership with Murray in March but said he was “too busy” to coach Berdych.