This week's Paris Masters will complete the jigsaw of who lands the final three berths for the season-ending Tennis Masters Shanghai. World number one Rafael Nadal and the man he displaced - Roger Federer - have already long booked their tickets for China, and Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Nikolai Davydenko are also guaranteed places.
But the remaining slots are up for grabs, ensuring a denouement in the City of Light. A group of players, led by American Andy Roddick, are pressing for those final positions though French world number 12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga saw his hopes take a dive Saturday in losing the Lyon semi-final to compatriot Julien Benneteau. Another Frenchman, Gilles Simon, is also sweating having gone into the weekend in eighth slot only to bow out in Lyon to Swede Robin Soderling.
Simon would have caught up Roddick and would also have leapfrogged Basel losing semi-finalist Juan Martin del Potro had he won in Lyon but now his hopes of a Chinese sojourn hang in the balance.
One man who says he prefers to concentrate on the Davis Cup final rather than head for Shanghai is Argentine star David Nalbandian, who wants to help push his country over the line for the first time in their history against Spain in Mar del Plata. Nalbandian has a busy schedule as it is, having reached the Basel final where he was Sunday out for a second Swiss title and going toe to toe with Federer, who was on a hattrick of triumphs in his homeland.
At the Davis Cup final, to be played in Mar del Plata in four weeks' time, the 26-year-old will at least be able to cease hostilities with team-mate Del Potro, whom he despatched 6-4, 6-4 in Basel on Saturday.
Del Potro has enjoyed a sensational season to date, but Saturday's reverse means he requires a solid showing in Paris as he has not just Simon but also David Ferrer and James Blake breathing down his neck.
As the winner of four straight titles over the summer admitted in Basel: "I'm tired, both mentally and physically. It's been tough for me. I really want to make the Masters Cup and win the Davis Cup." Murray will hope to show that his run of success this season will continue in Paris and erase disappointing memories of his last visit - a third-round French Open loss to Spaniard Nicolas Amalgro.
Murray, who kicked on from his Madrid Masters victory with another fine run in St Petersburg, admitted post-Madrid that "I'm still a long way behind the top three" but with his season finale assured he can enjoy Paris and then focus on a Chinese coronation. With the Davis Cup and Shanghai attracting the focus of so many of the top stars at this time of year, Paris has struggled on occasion to attract a gold-plated field - a source of concern to the hosts, not least with Davydenko an injury doubt.
"The big question is to know if the top four or five players in the world will all be present," as French Tennis Federation president Christian Bimes acknowledged in the run-up to the event.
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