PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic began his Paris Masters title defence with a routine 6-3, 6-4 win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round on Tuesday.

The top seed, who had a first-round bye, next faces 13th-seeded American John Isner or Frenchman Gael Monfils for a place in the quarter-finals.

Djokovic, who is in a race with Roger Federer to end the season on top of the rankings, took a 5-1 lead in the first set and broke his German opponent in the opening game of the second at the Bercy arena.

And the 27-year-old, who became a father for the first time last week, wrapped up victory on his first match point.

“It was a very good match considering the fact that I didn’t play indoors for a year [since last year’s ATP World Tour Finals]. I struggled a little bit physically. It was a pretty tough couple of weeks,” Djokovic told reporters.

The Paris Masters will decide who travels to London next month for the Tour Finals with Djokovic, Fede­rer, Stanislas Wawrinka and Ma­r­in Cilic already qualified.

Czech Tomas Berdych, the fifth seed who currently sits eighth in the Race to London, reached the third round with a 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 defeat of French wild card Adrian Mannarino.

A Berdych defeat would have ensured Briton Andy Murray qualified for the Tour finals, but the Czech regained his composure after losing a second set tie-break, and never looked back after a decisive break in the third game of the decider.

Berdych, the 2005 champion, will meet American qualifier Sam Querrey or Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the last-32.

Fernando Verdasco of Spain and Kevin Anderson of South Africa also reached the third round.

Verdasco outlasted Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and will play either former champion and last year’s finalist David Ferrer or Belgian talent David Goffin while Anderson fired 12 aces in his 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) win over Santiago Giraldo of Colombia.

Earlier, Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo survived a scare before prevailing 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) over Canada’s Vasek Pospisil in a first-round match.

Former world number five Robredo, 32, was evidently still feeling the effects of reaching the final of the Valencia Open on Sunday where he was beaten by Andy Murray in the longest final of the year.

Robredo plays Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori in the second round.

Goffin and Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay won their first-round matches along with Frenchmen Monfils, Jeremy Chardy and Lucas Pouille.

Goffin, who lost the Basel Open final in straight sets against Roger Federer on Sunday but has two ATP wins this season, overpowered Czech Republic world number 29 Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-3.

Cuevas was leading 7-6 (7-3), 1-0 when Leonardo Mayer of Argentina retired because of a back injury while Monfils, a two-time runner-up at the Paris Masters, cruised past Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 6-4.

Chardy edged Kenny De Schepper 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) in an all-French match, and qualifier Pouille, ranked 176th in the world, stunned Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-1, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, October 30th , 2014