PARIS, Oct 30: Juan Carlos Ferrero’s dreams of finishing 2003 as world number one suffered a crushing blow on Thursday when the top seed was beaten 7-5 7-5 by Czech Jiri Novak in the last 16 of the Paris Masters.

The Spaniard was outplayed from the back of the court by the 14th seed and Ferrero’s forehand, the weapon that won him the French Open this year, misfired throughout.

Before this tournament Ferrero led the year-long Champions Race by four points from Andy Roddick of the U.S..

Roddick plays Tommy Robredo of Spain later on Thursday. The 21-year-old will take over at the top of both the Champions Race and the 12-month rankings if he wins, ahead of the Masters Cup in Houston where the year-end number one will be crowned.

David Nalbandian of Argentina became the eighth and last player to qualify for the Masters Cup after Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan was beaten 7-6 6-3 by qualifier Hicham Arazi of Morocco, after leading 5-2 in the first set.

Eighth seed Paradorn could have scraped into the Houston event if he had won in Paris. Nalbandian pulled out of this tournament with a wrist injury and is by no means certain to be fit for the Masters Cup.

Novak broke Ferrero’s serve in the fourth game of the first set and although the Spaniard broke back immediately, his inability to impose himself in a series of long rallies left him muttering disconsolately on the baseline.

Serving at 5-6, 40-30 Ferrero served a double fault and then netted two forehands — the second following a superb return of serve by the Czech — to give Novak the set.

Ferrero wasted two break points in the fifth game of the second set and Novak kept plugging away from the baseline, confident that he could take advantage of an unusual off-day for his opponent, the winner of four tournaments this year.

Ferrero, serving at 4-5 to stay in the match, served a double fault for 30-30 and quickly went 30-40 down.

He saved the first match point when Novak hit a forehand long and a second after a serve was called an ace when television replays showed it to be clearly out.

The Czech kept his composure, however, and won Ferrero’s next service game with ease to reach a quarter-final against Arazi.

Results:

Third round: 2-Andy Roddick (U.S.) beat 16-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-3 6-4; Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) beat Gregory Carraz (France) 6-3 7-6 (9-7); 14-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat 1-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 7-5 7-5; Hicham Arazi (Morocco) beat 8-Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3; 5-Rainer Schuettler (Germany) beat 10-Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-4 7-5

Petrova IN 2nd round

VILLANOVA (Philadelphia): Russia’s Nadia Petrova outclassed American Amy Frazier 6-4 6-0 in first-round play at the Advanta Championships on Wednesday.