Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s hopes of reaching the ATP season-ending World Tour Finals disappeared on Tuesday after being eliminated from the Paris Masters by Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
The former Australian Open finalist wasted two match points before double faulting in the final set tie-break to gift world No.18 Nishikori a place in the last-16.
Despite serving 18 aces, a lethargic Tsonga let the second round match slip from his grasp losing 6-1 6-7 (4-7) 6-7 (7-9).
“I could have beaten many players today, and I believe he played a very solid match,” said Tsonga, who admitted he wasn’t fully fit.
“I believe he managed well, because I could have won that match. He was very solid, especially during the important moments of the match.
“Normally I shouldn’t even be here. We even wondered if we would totally stop or if we would continue the season, and I decided to continue the season.”
It was due reward for the top ranked Asian player who refused to throw in the towel despite being overwhelmed in the opening frame.
The 23-year-old now faces his third successive Frenchman in Richard Gasquet for a place in the quarter-finals.
Gasquet needed five match points earlier to beat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-5 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 in the second round and that along with the elimination of Tsonga gave him a double boost in his bid to qualify for the World Tour finals in London.
The right-hander from Beziers forced a crucial break in the deciding set to go 4-3 up and this time he kept his nerve after blowing two match points in the second set.
“I felt bad after the second set,” admitted Gasquet.
“It could have turned around in his favour. I was lucky.” he added.
The win for Gasquet, who is clinging to the eighth and final place for London which is available as Andy Murray is injured, means Tsonga is now out of the picture while Canadian Milos Raonic can still oust the Frenchman with a strong run this week.
In the final match of the day, world No.2 Novak Djokovic was taken to a tie-break in the first set before beating French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Hubert, ranked 189 in the world, 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.
The Serbian six-time grand slam winner, who kept alive his hopes of reclaiming the No.1 spot from Rafael Nadal, now plays either American John Isner or Poland’s Michal Przysiezny.
Spaniard Marcel Granollers will face compatriot Nadal on Wednesday after he breezed past Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-4 6-4.
Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov and France’s Nicolas Mahut also marched into the second round.