Nalbandian-Tsonga showdown in final
Monday, 3 November 2008
Defending champion David Nalbandian will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Paris Masters final with the winner securing a place at the Masters Cup, BBC reports.
Nalbandian won 20 of the opening 23 points as he stormed to the first set but Davydenko battled back and broke to win the second set and level the match.
But two errors in the seventh game of the final set cost the Russian his serve, and the match 6-1 5-7 6-4.
Tsonga secured his place in the final with a 6-4 6-3 win over James Blake.
It will be a first appearance in a Masters Series final for Tsonga who is bidding to become the first home winner since Sebastien Grosjean in 2001.
Blake held his opening service game, but was broken to love in his second as Tsonga took charge of the net and the opening set.
The 23-year-old continued to overpower his opponent in the second set and broke Blake in the first and ninth games to end the American's hopes of securing automatic qualification to the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai later this month.
The result also made sure of qualification for seventh-ranked Juan Martin del Potro and means that the winner of Sunday's final between Nalbandian and Tsonga will complete the eight-man line-up in China.
Nalbandian won 20 of the opening 23 points as he stormed to the first set but Davydenko battled back and broke to win the second set and level the match.
But two errors in the seventh game of the final set cost the Russian his serve, and the match 6-1 5-7 6-4.
Tsonga secured his place in the final with a 6-4 6-3 win over James Blake.
It will be a first appearance in a Masters Series final for Tsonga who is bidding to become the first home winner since Sebastien Grosjean in 2001.
Blake held his opening service game, but was broken to love in his second as Tsonga took charge of the net and the opening set.
The 23-year-old continued to overpower his opponent in the second set and broke Blake in the first and ninth games to end the American's hopes of securing automatic qualification to the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai later this month.
The result also made sure of qualification for seventh-ranked Juan Martin del Potro and means that the winner of Sunday's final between Nalbandian and Tsonga will complete the eight-man line-up in China.