Andy Roddick secured one of the three remaining spots for the Tennis Masters Cup when he overcame Frenchman Gilles Simon's stern resistance 6-3, 7-5 in the third round of the Paris Masters yesterday.
The American, sixth in the ATP Race, cannot end the week lower than seventh. The top eight qualify for the season-ending tournament in Shanghai.
Spain's Rafael Nadal, Swiss Roger Federer, Serb Novak Djokovic, Briton Andy Murray and Russia's Nikolay Davydenko have already qualified for the Masters Cup, which starts on November 9.
Earlier, Argentine David Nalbandian thrashed compatriot Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 6-0 to boost his chances of grabbing a ticket to China.
Roddick needed his best serve to down the in-form Simon, who reached the Madrid Masters final earlier this month.
Although he managed only four points on the 2003 US Open champion's first serve, Simon proved a tough nut to crack.
Roddick broke twice in the opening set but Simon replied in the second, creating four break chances, all wiped out by his opponent's powerful serve.
The former world No. 1 eventually prevailed in front of Simon's home crowd on his fifth match point.
Simon, eighth in the ATP Race, still has a good chance of going to Shanghai, depending on his rivals' results in Paris.
Nalbandian will qualify if he wins the Paris indoor tournament, while Del Potro's fate depends on other results.
"I don't watch the others' results. I'm going home today," said Del Potro, who is seventh in the ATP Race but can still be overtaken by several Masters Cup contenders in Paris.
Eighth-seeded Nalbandian looked awesome in his 66-minute drubbing of Del Potro on the Paris sports hall center court, where he triumphed last year.
Nalbandian will next meet either world No. 4 Murray or Spain's Fernando Verdasco.
"It's difficult to play the last tournament of the year. I was tired, my mind was in Argentina," said Del Potro, who will play the Davis Cup final with Nalbandian against Spain in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, from November 21.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily October 31, 2008)