SHANGHAI: Russia's Nikolay Davydenko followed his upset win over Andre Agassi with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Gaston Gaudio on Wednesday, moving closer to a place in the semifinals of the Masters Cup.

Davydenko, ranked seventh, broke Gaudio's serve twice in each set en route to his first win over the 26-year-old Argentine in six meetings.

He had a chance to serve out at 5-2, but dropped his serve. He had a match point in the eighth game, but couldn't convert it against the 2004 French Open champion.

Facing triple breakpoint in the 10th game, Davydenko rallied to make it deuce with an overhead crosscourt and finished the contest with two forehand winners.

Davydenko is 2-0 and Gaudio 1-1 in round-robin play in the Gold Group, which lost No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 5 Agassi to injuries after the tournament began on Monday.

No. 3 Andy Roddick (back) and Australian Open champion Marat Safin (knee) withdrew before the tournament because of injuries.

Fourth-ranked Lleyton Hewitt — Masters Cup winner in 2001 and '02 — stayed in Australia for the birth of his first child.

Fighting on

The top-ranked Federer asked for treatment at the start of his third set against Ivan Ljubicic on Tuesday, got a quick rub on his right leg from a physiotherapist and, then held on to secure a semifinal spot from the Red Group.

Federer's last round-robin match is on Thursday against Guillermo Coria, who is 0-2.

Gonzalez posts win

Chile's Fernando Gonzalez proved himself deserving a post in the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup, featuring eight elite men's professionals in the field, beating Argentina's Mariano Puerta 6-3, 4-6, 6-0.

The results (round-robin): Singles: Gold Group: Nikolay Davydenko bt Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-4; Fernando Gonzalez bt Mariano Puerta 6-3, 4-6, 6-0.

Doubles: Gold Group: Wayne Black-Kevin Ullyett bt Stephen Huss-Wesley Moodie 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-2; Michael Llodra-Fabrice Santoro bt Jonas Bjorkman-Max Mirnyi 7-6(3), 6-4. — AP

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