PARIS, Nov 5: Russian Nikolay Davydenko destroyed Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to take his first Masters Series title in expeditious manner on Sunday.

Fouth seed Davydenko, the highest-ranked player in the Paris Masters field after a string of no-shows, needed just an hour and 38 minutes to tame a helpless Hbraty.

The 25-year-old Russian has to be regarded as one of the favourites for the year-end Masters Cup featuring the world's top eight players, which starts on Nov 12 in Shanghai.

Earlier on Saturday, Hrbaty qualified for the final after German Tommy Haas retired in their semi-final to drop out of the Masters Cup race.

Hrbaty was leading 6-4, 1-0 when Haas, who needed to win the title here to qualify for the year-end event, withdrew, suffering from gastroenteritis.

Davydenko overcame Spain's Tommy Robredo 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 in the other semi-final.—Reuters