(Updates after later matches)
By Patrick Vignal
PARIS, Nov 2 - David Nalbandian and Tommy Robredo
won tickets to the Masters Cup on an eventful day at the Paris
Masters on Thursday.
Being absent from the French tournament through
gastroenteritis did not stop Argentine Nalbandian, who beat
world number one Roger Federer in last year's Masters Cup final,
from securing another trip to Shanghai.
The 2002 Wimbledon runner-up qualified for the year-end
event featuring the top eight players in the ATP Race after
German Tommy Haas beat American James Blake 6-4 6-2 in the third
round in Paris.
Spaniard Robredo secured a Masters Cup berth by beating
local favourite Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 7-6 to advance to the
quarter-finals.
Sixth seed Robredo goes on to meet Finn Jarkko Nieminen,
seeded 14th, who ended the run of Russian lucky loser Teimuraz
Gabashvili with a 4-6 7-6 6-2 win.
Nalbandian and Robredo join Federer, Rafael Nadal, Ivan
Ljubicic, Andy Roddick and Nikolay Davydenko in the Shanghai
field.
Three players -- Blake, Mario Ancic and Haas -- remain in
contention for the last spot for the Nov. 12-19 tournament.
On a sad day for the home fans, French number one Richard
Gasquet pulled out with an injury in a further blow to the
depleted event.
Gasquet, seeded 16th, withdrew before his scheduled
third-round match against Russian Marat Safin because of a torn
right thigh muscle.
His injury combined with defeats by Mathieu and Julien
Benneteau, who was crushed 6-3 6-1 by ninth seed Ancic, ended
French presence in the tournament.
FOURTH TRIUMPH
Former world number one Safin, dreaming of a fourth triumph
here after winning in 2000, 2002 and 2004, will now meet Haas.
Ancic faces a tough task in the next round against
Davydenko, who stormed through to the last eight with a 6-2 6-2
demolition of fellow Russian Dmitry Tursunov.
World number five Davydenko is the highest-ranked player in
the event after a string of no-shows.
"I'm playing really well and feeling confident but the next
match could be tough," said the 25-year-old Russian, who had
humiliated Belgian Christophe Rochus 6-0 6-0 in the previous
round.
Defending champion Tomas Berdych, seeded eighth, also
advanced easily, beating American Robby Ginepri 6-3 6-3.
The 21-year-old Czech won the tournament on his first
appearance at the Bercy hall last year.
"To have never lost a match here is a nice feeling," he
said. "Let's hope it continues".
Berdych's next match will be against Slovakia's Dominik
Hrbaty or British number one Andy Murray.