PARIS, Oct 28: Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan wiped out the misery of last week’s dismal showing in Sweden to reach the third round of the 2.45-million-euro Paris Masters here on Tuesday with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win over Slovak qualifier Karol Beck.
Despite being the top-seed in Stockholm, the 24-year-old Thai crashed out in the first round to unheralded Dutchman John van Lottum and Beck, who had knocked out highly-regarded American Robby Ginepri here on Monday, was another potential trap waiting to snare him.
But despite some early struggles where Paradorn, seeded eight and a semi-finalist in Paris last year, took his time to find his usual fluidity, his greater class won through as he booked a third round match against another qualifier, Hicham Arazi.
Arazi benefitted from his countryman, and 12th seed Younes El Aynaoui, the oldest man in the tournament at 32, being forced to retire from their second round match with a leg injury.
El Ayanoui, who held a 3-0 career record over his Davis Cup teammate, had nudged ahead in the 77 minute encounter 6-4, 3-6, 2-1 when he was forced to call it quits.
The result also ended the veteran’s slim hopes of making it to the Masters Cup in Houston next month where the last place in the eight-man field is still up for grabs.
Paradorn is still in with a chance of making the trip, but it is as remote as the Moroccan’s.
El Aynaoui said that his injury was a problem with his heel and he first felt it at the Madrid Masters where he made it to the semifinals.
Later on Tuesday, the battle for the world number one spot resumes with current top dog, and top seed here, Juan Carlos Ferrero playing Nicolas Mahut of France while world number two Andy Roddick, the second seed, faces Romanian qualifier Victor Hanescu.
Monday’s results (first round):
James Blake (USA) bt Fernando Gonzales (CHI) 6-3, 6-4; Andrei Pavel (ROM) bt Karol Kucera (SVK) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2; Fabrice Santoro (FRA) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; Thierry Ascione (FRA) bt Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) 6-0, 6-3; Victor Hanescu (ROM) bt Wayne Ferreira (RSA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Gaston Gaudio (ARG) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA) 1-6, 7-6 (13/11), 6-4; Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Tuesday’s results: Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) bt Agustin Callieri (Argentina) 6-4 7-6 (7-5); Feliciano Lopez (Spain) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) bt Vincent Spadea (U.S.) 7-6 (7-1) 6-1
Second round: Tommy Robredo (Spain) bt Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 7-5 6-3; Hicham Arazi (Morocco) bt Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) 6-4 3-6 2-1; Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) bt Karol Beck (Slovakia) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3
Pisnik ADVANCES
VILLANOVA (Philadelphia): Tenth seed Tina Pisnik of Slovenia advanced to the second round of the Advanta Championships on Monday with a 6-4 6-4 win over Janet Lee of Taiwan.
First round results:
Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) bt Janet Lee (Taiwan) 6-4 6-4; Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France) bt Aniko Kapros (Hungary) 6-3 6-3; Jelena Jankovic (Serbia and Montenegro) bt Shenay Perry (U.S.) 6-0 6-3; Martina Sucha (Slovakia) bt Cara Black (Zimbabwe) 6-0 6-3; Tathiana Garbin (Italy) bt Marissa Irvin (U.S.) 6-1 7-6 (7-2); Ashley Harkleroad (U.S.) bt Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-0 2-0 retired.—Reuters