Groupings made for Shanghai Masters Cup
(China Daily/Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-10 06:15

Under the round-robin format, with the top two finishers in each of the two four-woman groups advancing to the semi-finals, Clijsters could still unseat Davenport.

"Hopefully I can improve over the next few days," said Clijsters, whose next opponent will be France's Amelie Mauresmo on Wednesday, with Elena Dementieva to come later in the week.

Hewitt exits Masters to await first child

MELBOURNE, Australia - Two-time champion Lleyton Hewitt withdrew from the Masters Cup in Shanghai because of the pending birth of his first child and was replaced Tuesday by ninth-ranked Gaston Gaudio.

Hewitt's wife, Australian actress Rebecca Cartwright, is expected to give birth within the next two weeks. The Masters Cup begins on Sunday.

Hewitt won the eight-man tournament in 2001 in Sydney and in 2002 in Shanghai.

"I am extremely disappointed," Hewitt said in a statement. "With my baby due in the next two weeks, it is not possible for me to come."

Gaudio qualified for last year's Masters Cup after winning the French Open. The Argentine has won five tournaments this year.

He joins Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Guillermo Coria, Nikolay Davydenko and Ivan Ljubicic in the ATP's $4.45 million season finale.