Carlos Moya, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Greg Rusedski have pulled out of the Paris Masters Series tournament, organizers said Friday.
But the indoor tournament still retains most of its illustrious cast.
Moya, who is 56-20 over this year, has an injured shoulder; Rusedski has back pain, but Kafelnikov did not explain why he withdrew, organizers said. Earlier, reigning champion Marat Safin of Russia also pulled out because of blisters on his right foot.
The tournament starts Monday at Paris' Bercy stadium and ends Saturday, Nov. 2. It is crucial for the ATP Champions Race, where players collect points to qualify for the Tennis Masters Cup -- a season-end tournament where the best eight players of 2003 collide.
Moya on Friday became the seventh player qualified for the Masters Cup leaving one berth available for the tournament at the Westside tennis club in Houston, Texas, between Nov. 8-16.
Argentina's David Nalbandian sits in 8th place with 358 points, with Australia's Mark Philippoussis 9th with 322 points and 2001 Paris Masters winner Sebastien Grosjean of France in 10th spot on 312 points. All three will compete at Bercy.
Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 23-year-old French Open champion and current ATP race leader, is also playing and is seeded No.1. US Open winner Andy Roddick is seeded No.2 and Wimbledon champion Roger Federer of Switzerland No.3.
Ferrero, who is overall 68-15 this year, can secure a hat-trick of Masters titles as victory in Paris would follow triumphs in Monte Carlo and Madrid. He has four titles this year, the other being the International Series in Valencia.
The 16 seeded competitors have a bye into the second round. The tournament features 48 players, including six qualifiers and three wild-card entries. Roddick and Ferrero were placed on opposites sides of the first-round draw, which took place Friday.
Roddick downed Ferrero 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3 in the US Open final in September.
In the first round, French Open winner Albert Costa of Spain will face Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta and American James Blake meets Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
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