Ferrer’s qualifying campaign for Shanghai stalls in Basel

BASEL (Switzerland)—David Ferrer was derailed for the second straight week in a tournament opening round as the Spaniard’s qualification for the Masters Cup remained elusive.
The third seed at the Swiss Indoors was upset by Argentine Agustin Calleri 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to complicate the qualifying scenario for the eight-man season wrap-up event in China with two weeks of play remaining on the ATP. Ferrer, who started October in storming form by lifting the Tokyo title, has fallen mightily, withdrawing from Stockholm and losing last week at home in Madrid to Feliciano Lopez.
Ferrer, sixth in the world, stands next in the queue to take the empty sixth position. But his early Swiss loss delays the final selection process.
Trailing him are four other rivals headed by Basel second seed and former champion Fernando Gonzalez, who is provisionally seventh, German Tommy Haas, who withdrew ill from Lyon, the provisionally ninth Tommy Robredo and American James Blake.
Robredo was beaten in Lyon while Blake has yet to play in Basel. With point values lower this week, the positions are more than likely to be filled at next week’s Paris Masters, the last tournament of the regular ATP season.
Another seed was eliminated at the St Jakobshalle with number seven Juan Chela of Argentina losing 6-3, 6-4 to Austrian Stefan Koubek.
Top-seeded holder Roger Federer was opening his title defence later against German Michael Berrer, ranked 54th. Second seed Gonzalez, the 2005 champion and last year’s losing finalist, was playing Jerome Haehnel of France.—Agencies