Spain's Ferrer falls from Shanghai chase with loss

Oct 29, 2008, 14:21 GMT

Paris - German Philipp Kohlschreiber dealt a likely fatal blow to the season-ending hopes of Spain's David Ferrer as he defeated the Spaniard 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Ferrer, seeded fifth, will be unable to make the trip to Shanghai as a direct qualifier next week as his progress was halted while standing ninth in the chase for one of the last three spots remaining in the eight-man China field.

His lone chance of boarding a flight East might lies as an alternate if any players standing ahead of him do not make the trip.

Since losing in the US Open third round against Japanese breakthrough teenager Kei Nishikori, world number five Ferrer has won just two of the five ATP matches he has played.

Eighth seed David Nalbandian, who will not go to Shanghai even if he qualifies - he's now joint 12th - defeated German Nicolas Kiefer 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to line up against a familiar face.

For the third week in a row, the senior Argentine will meet his most dangerous internal rival in Juan Del Potro.

The South American pair have split wins, with the 20-year-old Del Potro taking a Madrid third-round win this month while Nalbandian levelled as he won a Basle quarter-final last Friday in Switzerland.

Del Potro stands provisional seventh in the Shanghai standings as the regular season plays out this week in Paris.

'He's almost in the Masters, so it doesn't matter. This is going to be the third time in three weeks, so that is a little bit strange,' said Nalbandian, the Paris defending champion.

'It's going to be a tough match, like always for us. We are in a Davis Cup team so we practise a lot together.'

In another second-round contest, Croatian Marin Cilic advanced over Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).