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Revenge not so sweet for Henman in avenging Wimbledon loss
Paris, Oct 30: Mark Philippoussis and Sebastien Grosjean saw their dreams of making it to the money-spinning Masters Cup in Houston crushed here when they were knocked outof the 2.45-million-euro Paris Masters at the second round stage.
Paris, Oct 30: Mark Philippoussis and Sebastien Grosjean saw their dreams of making it to the money-spinning Masters Cup in Houston crushed here when they were knocked out
of the 2.45-million-euro Paris Masters at the second round stage.
Philippoussis, the Australian ninth seed, squandered five match points on his way to a 6-7 (5/7 7-6 (13/11) 7-6 (7/1) defeat at the hands of Brazil`s former world number one Gustavo Kuerten while Grosjean threw away a first set lead and went down to a 3-6 6-4 7-5 loss in front of his home crowd to Britain`s Tim Henman yesterday.
Their defeats mean that only Thailand`s Paradorn Srichaphan can now prevent Argentinian David Nalbandian from claiming the eighth and final spot in the Masters Cup next month.
Ironically, Nalbandian, who was seeded six here, pulled out of the Paris Masters yesterday having failed to recover from the wrist injury he suffered in Switzerland last week.
Now he is the overwhelming favourite to join Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Guillermo Coria, Andre Agassi, Carlos Moya and Rainer Schuettler in the Texas event as Paradorn would have to win here on Sunday to pip the Argentinian.
"I tried not to think about the Masters Cup," said Grosjean who had beaten Henman in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. "Instead I will go on holiday with my family, it will be three weeks extra."
Henman and Kuerten will now face each other today for a place in the quarter-finals. "To beat Grosjean on his home ground, there`s a certain element of revenge although I would rather have won one of the matches I lost to him at Queen`s and Wimbledon," said the Briton.
Bureau Report
Their defeats mean that only Thailand`s Paradorn Srichaphan can now prevent Argentinian David Nalbandian from claiming the eighth and final spot in the Masters Cup next month.
Ironically, Nalbandian, who was seeded six here, pulled out of the Paris Masters yesterday having failed to recover from the wrist injury he suffered in Switzerland last week.
Now he is the overwhelming favourite to join Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Guillermo Coria, Andre Agassi, Carlos Moya and Rainer Schuettler in the Texas event as Paradorn would have to win here on Sunday to pip the Argentinian.
"I tried not to think about the Masters Cup," said Grosjean who had beaten Henman in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. "Instead I will go on holiday with my family, it will be three weeks extra."
Henman and Kuerten will now face each other today for a place in the quarter-finals. "To beat Grosjean on his home ground, there`s a certain element of revenge although I would rather have won one of the matches I lost to him at Queen`s and Wimbledon," said the Briton.
Bureau Report