Andy Murray drew one stage nearer to getting to be world number one by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3 7-6 (8-6) to win the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
The Scot, 29, attested his predominance in the main set against Frenchman Tsonga in his 78th singles match of the year.
However, he confronted a restored Tsonga in the second, requiring an attach break to win it.
The Briton will supplant Novak Djokovic as number one by winning one week from now’s Paris Masters, if Djokovic does not achieve the last.
Murray will likewise take beat spot on the off chance that he achieves the Paris last and Djokovic falls before the semi-finals.
Three times a Grand Slam victor 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.
“From two to one seems a small jump in a way but it’s the hardest one to make. To go from 100 to 50 is more spots but is a lot easier.”
The win in Vienna win is Murray’s third back to back title after late achievements in Beijing and Shanghai, and he has lost just three times since the French Open in June.
For the main set and a half it was Murray who controlled the match yet Tsonga, who had won just two of their past 15 gatherings, woke up and delivered a forceful show to take the second set to a tie-break.
Tsonga kept on assaulting at the net yet Murray’s fifth pro of the match guaranteed a profession best seventh title of the season.
“I was thinking more about how you are going to win the match rather than what it would mean if you did win it,” added Murray.
“But obviously it’s nice to win my seventh tournament. A lot of them have come in the last few months.
“After the Australian Open I struggled a little bit for a couple of months but the last few months have been very good.”
