Murray edges close to No. 1 ranking

Vienna: Andy Murray moved one step closer to becoming world number one by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 7-6 (8-6) in the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. The Scot, 29, asserted his dominance in the first set against Frenchman Tsonga in his 78th singles match of the year. But he faced a revived Tsonga in the second, needing a tie-break to win it. The Briton will replace Novak Djokovic as number one by winning next week’s Paris Masters, provided Djokovic does not reach the final.

Murray will also take top spot if he reaches the Paris final and Djokovic falls before the semi-finals. Three times a Grand Slam winner and twice Olympic champion, Murray has never been top of the world rankings. “I get a step closer with every win but it’s still a long way from here,” he said. BBC he’ll prove his worth to boxing fans. Vargas said that he’s excited that Pacquiao looked great in his last outing against Timothy Bradley - that way when he beats him he’ll get the full credit he deserves. “Manny Pacquiao’s best performance against Timothy Bradley in his three fights was in his last fight,” Vargas said. “It was only a few months ago and I’m happy he was able to give that performance. That way people can still see when I defeat Manny Pacquiao I will defeat a good Manny Pacquiao that is still performing at the highest level. That’s the Manny Pacquiao I want to beat.”

Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs) appears to be riding high after his knockout win over Sadam Ali for the vacant WBO title back in March. Moreover, he says he’s not at all phased by being in the ring with a sure-fire Hall of Famer who is the favourite to win. In fact, Vargas believes he has many advanatage over Pacquiao heading into this fight, and he anticipates using them all to get the win himself. RingTV