PARIS, Nov 1: Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan set up a Paris Masters second round showdown with defending champion Tim Henman after beating Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 in his opening match on Monday.

Paradorn, playing in his 30th tournament of the year, struggled to make headway on the Zabaleta serve in the opening set taking just five points off the last four service games of the Argentinian.

But he was the cooler of the two in the tie-break when a succession of loose forehands from the 50th ranked South American handed the Thai the set after 46 minutes.

The Asian number one gained the vital break in the fifth game of the second set when Zabaleta, who had never won a match in three previous visits here, could only push a fierce backhand return wide.

Paradorn wasted two match points in the 10th game but made no mistake with his third as his seventh ace whizzed past a flat-footed Zabaleta.

Results: Cyril Saulnier (France) bt Luis Horna (Peru) 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-0); Christophe Rochus (Belgium) bt Filippo Volandri (Italy) 2-6 6-4 4-1 retired; Max Mirnyi (Belarus) bt Hicham Arazi (Morocco) 6-3 6-0; Jurgen Melzer (Austria) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 6-1 6-4; Mardy Fish (U.S.) bt David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3 3-6 6-2;Robin Soderling (SWE) bt Taylor Dent (USA) 6-2, 6-4; Paradorn Srichaphan (THA) bt Mariano Zabaleta (ARG) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.-Reuters