Houston (Texas), Nov 11: Argentina's David Nalbandian beat second-ranked Spaniard Ferrero 6-3 6-1 in blue group round-robin openers.
"I don't even know what has to happen," Ferrero said. "Andy is not allowed to lose or something. That can happen. He is playing good guys. But the chances are awfully small."
Ferrero lost a crucial chance to gain ground on Roddick with his worst match of the year, but can still become the first Spanish year-end world number one by winning the season-ending showdown of the year's top eight players.
"I did not hit the ball very good the whole time," Ferrero said. "I didn't do anything so good. I didn't hit many winners. I didn't play very good. It's the first match in the whole year I played like this."
US Open champion Roddick plays his first match today against Spain's seventh-ranked Carlos Moya while sixth-ranked Rainer Schuettler of Germany and fourth-rated Guillermo Coria of Argentina meet in the other red group opener.



Eighth-ranked Nalbandian took just 67 minutes to dismantle Ferrero, who will lead Spain against Australia later this month in the Davis Cup final.



Ferrero surrendered a break in the sixth game and lost eight of the next 10 games to drop the match.



"With the first break I started to play bad and bad, every time worse," Ferrero said. "I had to put more out, to want to win."



Ferrero lost his Masters Cup opener for the third year in a row. He bounced back to reach the 2001 semi-finals and 2002 finals, but did not play so poorly in either earlier defeat.



"It was not the same. I played very bad, not like the last two times," said Ferrero. "I will fight in the next match. I will try to practice well in the next few days."



Nalbandian, the first player from Argentina in 20 years to play in the ATP season-ending event, beat Ferrero on clay last year in Estoril, Portugal 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7/4) in their only prior match.



Nalbandian has not won an ATP title this year. He withdrew from last month's final in Basel with left wrist tendinitis and is not yet fully recovered, but had more than enough to dispatch lacklustre Ferrero.



"It felt good. I didn't feel anything strange in the match," Nalbandian said of his wrist. "I don't feel 100 per cent but I'm focused. I tried to concentrate on my game and I think my tactics were perfect."


Bureau Report