TENNIS in DEPTH.

Nikolay Davydenko secured his place at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday, despite a Paris Masters defeat by Robin Soderling.

Soderling kept his on hopes of qualfying for the season-ending London tournament alive with a 6-3 3-6 6-4 win, but Fernando Verdasco’s defeat later in the day meant Davydenko’s place in the eight-man field was secured.

Verdasco was beaten 3-6 6-3 6-4 by Marin Cilic and he is the player who must now sit and sweat to see if he has done enough to reach London.

The Spaniard currently sits in the final qualification place but Soderling, Fernando Gonzalez or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga could yet usurp him.

Verdasco must now hope neither Soderling nor Gonzalez reaches the final in Paris, while Tsonga would snatch the eighth spot by successfully defending his title in the French capital.

Soderling said after his win: “I try not to think about the long term because it will only make me nervous but, if I can have the chance to play in London, it will be a dream come true for me.”

Regarding his win over Davydenko, he added: “I managed to serve very well, especially at the end of the match. At times I felt like I was playing against a wall today.”

Soderling will face a tough challenge to extend his run, though, with in-form third seed Novak Djokovic up next in the quarter-finals.

The Serb beat Roger Federer in the final of the world number one’s home-town event in Basle last weekend and on Thursday demolished home favourite Arnaud Clement 6-2 6-2.

Djokovic had looked somewhat jaded in his second-round match against Juan Monaco but had no problems against Clement and will hope to post his fifth successive victory against Soderling on Friday.

Tsonga also kept his London hopes alive with a 6-2 6-3 demolition of fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon.

The eighth seed qualified for the Tour Finals with victory in this event last year, and he remained on course for a repeat as he overpowered Simon.

Meanwhile, Gael Monfils beat Roger Federer’s conqueror Julien Benneteau 6-4 6-3 in another all-French clash. He will now meet Cilic in the last eight.

Related Posts:

• Djokovic & Nadal into the semi….Verdasco on to London.
• Soderling and Davydenko meet again…..
• Llodra saves his best tennis for Marseille.

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