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Top seed David Ferrer of Spain was bundled out of the $524,000 China Open by Israel's Dudi Sela on Thursday, while big-serving American Andy Roddick [Images] swept past compatriot Brendan Evans to book a quarter-final place.
Ferrer, who enjoyed a round-one bye, appeared listless on a centre court flooded with bright sunshine and lost 6-3, 6-3.
He found the target on only 54 percent of his first serves and ended up surrendering the match with a raft of unforced errors.
The world number five, who rushed to China after Spain wrapped up their Davis Cup semi-final win against the United States in Madrid on Sunday, said fatigue had played a part.
"Maybe I was a little bit tired, I didn't sleep too well these two nights, but that's no excuse because he played better than me," a gloomy Ferrer told reporters.
World number 92 Sela, who flew from Tel Aviv after helping Israel to beat Peru for a place in the Davis Cup World Group on Sunday, faces a quarter-final against another Spaniard, sixth seed Tommy Robredo who cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 win over Czech Ivo Minar.
Roddick, a member of the losing Davis Cup team on Sunday, also made the final eight, shaking off jet-lag and a scratchy start to brush aside qualifier Evans in straight sets.
After conceding an early break, the former US Open [Images] champion quickly found his rhythm, clubbing 17 aces on the way to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the 187th-ranked Evans.
"It's a little tough going from clay last weekend in Spain, dealing with jet-lag and what-not, so I'm just happy to be here for the first round," the 26-year-old said.
Roddick and Ferrer are among a clutch of players vying for one of the four remaining places in November's Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, which groups the year's eight best-performing players.
Spain's Rafael Nadal [Images], Swiss Roger Federer [Images], Novak Djokovic [Images] of Serbia and Briton Andy Murray are already assured of places.
World number eight Roddick faces a quarter-final against former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero after the Spaniard eased past compatriot and fifth seed Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-4.
Germans Rainer Schuettler and Bjoern Phau will meet France's [Images] Richard Gasquet and Chile's Fernando Gonzalez respectively in the other quarter-finals.
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