November 1, 2001	Thursday	Shaba’an 14, 1422

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PARIS, Oct 31: Briton Tim Henman and Swiss Roger Federer, finalists last week in Basle, suffered a severe reversal of fortune on Wednesday when they were ousted in the second round of the Paris Masters Series and lost their last Masters Cup hopes.

Eighth seed Henman, who won in Switzerland on Sunday and looked well placed to make it to the season-ending showdown in Sydney on November 12, bowed 6-4 6-3 to French underdog Julien Boutter.

The Briton made a convincing start, leading Boutter 4-1 in the early stages, but quickly fell apart, losing six games in succession.

Henman broke back for 1-1 at the beginning of the second set, but it was only a brief reprieve as Boutter again took his serve in the seventh game to lead 4-3.

Two successive double faults gave the Frenchman a first match point which he did not miss, finishing Henman off with a punishing backhand on the line.

Federer’s end-of-season plans were also cut shot after he lost a tight second round encounter with Czech Jiri Novak.

The 10th-seeded Swiss, a losing finalist in Basle, bowed 6-4 6-7 7-6 and said he was still in shock after his loss to Henman in front of his home crowd on Sunday.

Federer and Henman were two of six players still in contention for the last two spots in the Masters Cup on November 12.

Russians Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, German Tommy Haas and Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean are still bidding to take part in the season-ending showdown.

Second round results:

Julien Boutter (France) beat 8-Tim Henman (Britain) 6-4 6-3; Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat 11-Arnaud Clement (France) 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-5); 7-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 6-3 6-4; Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat 10-Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2)—Reuters