PARIS - Teenage qualifier Novak Djokovic ruined Mariano Puerta's hopes of making the year-end Masters Cup when he upset the fourth seed 6-3 7-6 in the second round of the Paris Masters tennis event today.
Argentine Puerta needed to reach the final of the indoor tournament to stand a chance
of claiming a spot at the eight-strong season finale starting on November 13 in Shanghai, China.
On a bad day for Argentine tennis, second seed Guillermo Coria also disappeared from the lucrative event, brushed aside 6-4 6-2 by Czech Tomas Berdych.
Coria, who would have secured a Masters Cup berth with a victory, looked clumsy and made a string of unforced errors.
The Argentine can still win a ticket to Shanghai but his fate depends on how the other seven contenders still in the draw will fare in Paris.
Djokovic, 18 and ranked No 85 in the world, produced some exciting tennis and showed composure to win the second set's tie break 11-9.
"He's a future champion," Puerta said of Djokovic.
"The next time he comes to Bercy, he will be in the top 30, I'm sure."
Russia's Nikolay Davydenko stayed on course for a Masters Cup Cup slot by crushing former champion Greg Rusedski 6-2 6-2.
Davydenko, seeded No 3, needed only 59 minutes to move past Rusedski, who won the indoor tournament in 1998 and would have made sure of ending the season as the British No 1 ahead of Tim Henman had he won.
- REUTERS
