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Paris Masters, Second Round
In reverse order of standings, here's how the remaining eight hopefuls fared in their first matches of the week.
** Elias Trulsen exited 6-1, 7-6(4) to US player Johnny Browne. His journey towards irrelevancy is perhaps nearly complete. The biggest problem has been an inability to decide whether to focus on singles or doubles, leading to unsatisfactory results in both. Another one down.
** Thiago Herrera was also knocked out, in an epic struggle against his lower-ranking countryman Andre. 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(5) was the count. Having bowed out of the Top 10 after a stay of a few years in recent weeks, it looks like the end for the 30-year-old who made two appearances at the tour finals.
** Shreya Ujjaval is the only one of the long shots to stick around and win a match to put pressure on the leading candidates. Barely. Zakirov, a familiar foe, took the first set before Ujjaval rallied, 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. Shreya still has the dimmest hope remaining.
** Pierce Gaskell had a rough go of it before eventually getting past Xavier Caminha, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. His string of five straight seasons at the finals is still intact, but also still on life support.
** Davide Poilblan easily dispatched qualifier Andres Guardado of Mexico, losing just three games. Guardado has had his moments, but Poilblan had too many advantages here.
** Agustin Herrera had a rematch with Luc Janin, and this time stopped the upstart 6-4, 6-3.
** Bjorn Benda had the easiest time of the group, demolishing qualifier Radek Smitala 6-0, 6-2. Benda's going for his 10th straight appearance, and with the final 16 now set, he's just in at the moment at 33 years old. That's pretty amazing when you think about it, but if he loses his next match and any of the three directly behind him win, he's still out.
** Prakash Mooljee has a bit of a cushion and didn't give anyone an opening, surviving nine aces from Tomas Niklas and converting all four break chances in a 6-3, 7-6(4) win. It was pretty close, but Niklas has been in top form lately so I was expecting that might happen.
From eight to six today as Trulsen and T. Herrera are gone. Mooljee is looking pretty secure but not home yet; if he loses his next match, two of the others would have to make the semifinals to knock him out. Possible, but definitely unlikely. The focus is even more on the Benda/Herrera/Poilblan/Gaskell quartet, as the last to lose is the odds-on favorite to get the last spot among that group. The third round tomorrow is usually where most of the contenders drop.
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