The world tennis number two Rafael Nadal kept winning the hard way at the Paris Masters edging past fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-3 3-6 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals.
Roger Federer's second-round exit means Nadal stands an outside chance of finishing the year as world number one but first he'll have to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the last four.
Tsonga stayed in contention for a spot at the season-ending World Tour Finals in London with a straight sets win over another Frenchman Gilles Simon.
Britain's world number four Andy Murray is also out after a three sets loss to the Czech Radek Stepanek.
Sweden's Robin Soderling is thriough after beating Davydenko although the Russian's still secured a place in London after Fernando Verdasco's loss to Croatia's Marin Cilic.
Soderling will play the world number three Novak Djokovic.
