Roger Federer returns from injury with win to join Andy Murray in Monte Carlo last 16

Meanwhile, Roger Federer returned from knee surgery with victory over Spain's Garcia-Lopez. It was his first match since he lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open last four in January.

The Swiss required arthroscopic surgery for torn cartilage in his left knee in early February and was forced to withdraw from the Miami Masters a fortnight ago due to a stomach virus.

Federer never had to be at his best in advancing.

He was broken leading 5-2 in the first set, but was rarely troubled as he served out the first set before compleing a comfortable win in straight sets.

"I was very excited and tense," said Federer, who faces Roberto Bautista Agut or Jeremy Chardy in the third round on Thursday.

"It was a perfect match, because it was close in the beginning and then I could go on a roll.

"My doctor told me 'Look, now you're healed you can really go for it.'

"If there is any fear left in my mind then it comes from me. But there is no pain left and that's incredibly reassuring. I think now it's a case of how the knee is going to feel after three games?' But I'm not too scared about that because I've really pushed things in training."

The British No 1 Murray looked to be on his way to a comfortable victory over Pierre-Hugues Herbert when he won the first set 6-2 but was pegged back to one set all by the French qualifier.

However, Murray responded to win the decider – clinching a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 triumph and setting up a clash with either Benoit Paire or Joao Sousa as he continues his clay-court campaign.

A number of unforced errors cost the 28-year-old the second set and he acknowledges that it was a real rollercoaster affair.

"I expected it to be a tough match from the beginning but in the first set he didn't serve well – I think that he served about 35 per cent first serves," said Murray.

"First serves are a big part of his game because he likes to serve-and-volley or come in behind the second shot but he wasn't able to do that because he didn't serve well.

"Then in the second, he did that a bit better but I was making too many mistakes getting broken a few times.

"I actually served well in the third set and came up with some big first serves when I needed them which was important.

"I played some good tennis at times but I was also a bit up-and-down and you need to be a bit more consistent than that on this surface."

3-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-3 6-4

2-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) 6-2 4-6 6-3

15-Gilles Simon (France) beat Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-4 6-3

Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) beat Fabio Fognini (Italy) 2-6 6-0 6-1

Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-0 6-3

11-David Goffin (Belgium) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 7-5 6-0

Taro Daniel (Japan) beat Adrian Mannarino (France) 6-3 6-4

Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Borna Coric (Croatia) 6-4 6-4

Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) 7-6(2) 6-7(2) 7-6(4)

Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia and Herzegovina) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-2 6-0

Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) beat Teymuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 3-6 7-5 7-5

Joao Sousa (Portugal) beat Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-3 7-6(4)