Paris, Oct. 30: U.S. star Andy Roddick reached the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters on Thursday and, in doing so, to clinch their season-end Shanghai Masters Cup berth, beating Gilles Simon of France 6-3, 7-5.Simon was eighth in the ATP entry into the race on Thursday match, but realistically needed to win as James Blake of the United States and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are breathing down the neck.
For Roddick, his sixth victory of cement spot and facing it, either near or third seed Novak Djokovic Tsonga, faced off in a repeat of the Australia Open final won by the Serbs.
Argentine eighth seed David Nalbandian and former owner thrash its ninth seeded team in Davis Cup Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 6-0 to become the first quarter-finalist at the Paris Masters.
Nalbandian, who took the pair in the series at 3-1 in their favor in their third meeting within a month, or next faces fourth seeded Andy Murray British or Spanish 15th seed Fernando Verdasco.
A missed break point - one of four in total - in the seventh game of the second set was the closest Simon troublesome reached. In a high-wire act that saved four points of the match in game 12 before succumbing.
With his loss to Nalbandian, Del Potro, suffering a broken nail, must now unite in sweat Roddick in China.
The Rising Star is the seventh in the ATP race, but could slide out of the eight men on the ground, depending on other results here.
"I do not like playing against friends or Argentine players - is difficult," said a crestfallen Del Potro.
"David did a great match. I do not know if I will play Shanghai - I'm not qualified yet.
"At least if I do not have the Davis Cup for sure - and that gives me a lot of motivation."
Nalbandian, who told reporters the Spanish Argentine crowd will give them a warm welcome to the Davis Cup in Mar del Plata, said Murray would be a huge obstacle.
"He is doing great - he won a lot of major titles. He is a talent."
Murray is seeking this week to become the first man to win three straight Masters event after victories in Cincinnati and Madrid.
Nalbandian remains theoretically could benefit from China - "I'll see if and when the time comes," he insisted - but focuses on teamwork with Del Potro of Argentina after an initial objective of the Davis Cup final against Rafael Nadal of Spain on November 21-23 in Mar del Plata.
After winning Roddick, two slots Shanghai remained in suspense on a day when nine of the world's top ten are still in action.
In the night game, world number one Federer is taking hope in French Gaël Monfils, while the second ranked Roger Federer meets Croatian Marin Cilic.
Sixth-seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia was playing Tomas Berdych in the final match in a battle of former champions.
No comments:
Post a Comment