Novak Djokovic and Nikolay Davydenko got their Tennis Masters Cup campaigns off to winning starts with hard-fought victories in Shanghai today.
Second seed Djokovic battled to a 7-5 6-3 victory over Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro, while Davydenko came from a set down to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-7 (6/8) 6-4 7-6 (7/0).
Djokovic came into the event looking to make up for a dismal display last year and boosted his hopes of making the semi-finals by seeing off Del Potro in one hour 57 minutes.
Djokovic surrendered an early break in the first set as Del Potro recovered to level matters at 5-5.
But the world number three moved ahead at 6-5 and then sealed the break and the set after a long baseline rally.
Del Potro drew first blood in the second set as he broke to go 2-1 up after his opponent opted to leave his passing shot and the ball dropped in.
Djokovic though broke right back after producing a fine return to a serve into the body and had the chance to move 4-2 ahead only for the Argentinian to keep himself in the game with a fine lob and then make it 3-3 with a running backhand down the line.
That was the last game Del Potro would win though as Djokovic broke again to close out the win.
Davydenko joined the Serbian at the top of the Gold Group with victory in the second game of the day.
Paris Masters winner Tsonga was forced to come back from 0-40 down in the opening game of the contest to hold serve, but that was as close as either player came to a break in a tight first set.
The pair proved just as hard to separate in the tie-break, but Davydenko eventually put a routine volley into the net to gift his opponent the set.
The second set could not have started in more contrasting fashion as both players exchanged breaks in the opening two games.
And the Russian fired a winner right into the corner to break again at 5-4 and take the set.
The decider looked like proving a far more one-sided affair as Davydenko opened up a 5-2 lead, but Tsonga clawed his way back to level matters at 5-5 before the Russian raced through the easiest of tie-breaks to claim victory.
Action in the Red Group, which includes Roger Federer, who has won the title here in four of the last five years, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and Gilles Simon, gets under way tomorrow.
