With still days to recover after losing Friday at Basel, Argentine
David Nalbandian must feel confident of qualifying for the year-end Masters Cup as Saturday he pulled from the final regular-season event of the ATP calendar at the Masters Series-Paris citing a stomach illness.
Four players have secured positions at the year-end championship in Shanghai in
Roger Federer,
Rafael Nadal,
Ivan Ljubicic and
Andy Roddick. Ljubicic and Roddick have subsequently bowed out of Paris, as has
Marcos Baghdatis with injury.
Nikolay Davydenko and Nalbandian are next in line for the four remaining Masters Cup spots, and also in contention are
Fernando Gonzalez,
James Blake,
Tommy Robredo, and
Mario Ancic.
