World number one Juan Carlos Ferrero and second seed Andy Roddick were given first set scares on Tuesday before reaching the third round of the Paris Masters.

France's Nicolas Mahut, ranked 108 in the world, slugged it out from the baseline with Ferrero, breaking the French Open champion in the fifth game and earning a set point in the tiebreak before losing it 9-7. Ferrero won 7-6 6-4.

Like his Spanish rival for the end-year number one spot, US Open champion Roddick looked uncomfortable against Romanian qualifier Victor Hanescu.

His fearsome serve was broken early on and he was forced to save two set points in the 10th game.

But the American gradually found his rhythm to win the first set tiebreak 7-4 from 3-4 down. Despite brave Romanian resistance until the end, Roddick also won a second set tiebreak 7-4.

The Paris Masters is the final tournament of the season before the season-ending Masters Cup in Houston next month and there is a three-way race for the number one spot.

The third man, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, plays another qualifier, Frenchman Thierry Ascione, in the second round on Wednesday.

Ferrero was unnerved by a player not afraid to go for his shots.

Mahut, however, ran out of steam in the ninth game of the second set, netting three shots at the net to allow Ferrero to break and the Spaniard sealed victory in the next game.

"I have never seen him play before and if he maintains this level I think he can go very far," Ferrero said. "There was very little difference between us but maybe I played the important points better."

Ferrero is playing his 19th tournament of the year, excluding Davis Cup ties, but he says he is physically fine.

"I've had a long year but the motivation of being number one helps you forget your tiredness and keeps you going."

HIGHLIGHT MATCH

Gustavo Kuerten won the highlight match of the first round when he took advantage of American Mardy Fish's poor serving to win 6-4 7-6.

Both men had won titles last weekend -- Kuerten in St Petersburg and Fish his debut trophy in Stockholm -- but the Brazilian was in charge from the outset.

"It was two guys with a lot of confidence trying to keep the rhythm going and luckily I was the one who could win," said Kuerten.

Younes El Aynaoui bowed out of the race to claim the eighth and final spot in the Masters Cup after retiring in the third set of his match against fellow Moroccan Hicham Arazi.

El Aynaoui, seeded 12th, had suffered muscle inflammation in his heel when he reached the semi-finals in Madrid two weeks ago and he almost pulled out before this tournament after seeing his doctor in Bordeaux.

"It was hurting from the very first point and I stopped rather than not being able to put my foot on the ground tomorrow.

The top eight players in the ATP Champions Race on November 3 qualify for the Masters Cup.

The battle for the eighth spot is now between Argentina's David Nalbandian (392 points), Mark Philippoussis of Australia (322), France's Sebastien Grosjean (321) and Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan (304).

If Nalbandian wins one match here, Paradorn can no longer qualify. Nalbandian plays Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden on Wednesday.

Philippoussis and Grosjean almost certainly have to win the title and hope the Argentine loses early in the tournament.

Arazi plays eighth seed Paradorn in the third round after the Thai beat Karol Beck of Slovakia 7-6 6-3.

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