Ferrer sends Nadal packing; Djokovic out

Nadal lost to David Ferrer 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, while the weary Djokovic lost to Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 6-2 and was eliminated from contention for the semi-finals with one match left in the Gold Group.

In the Red Group, top-ranked Roger Federer and No. 4 Nikolay Daydenko lost their first matches yesterday, and will play each other tomorrow, followed by Andy Roddick against Francisco Gonzalez.

Nadal said there are really no upsets here, considering the elite nature of the field.

8220;We play against the best always, every match, so anything can happen,8221; Nadal said after his nearly three-hour struggle against Ferrer that divided the loyalties of Spanish fans, who draped several of their national flags around the indoor arena.

Ferrer said his only advantage against the man he called the best player in Spanish history comes when they face off in video games.

8220;Just in the PlayStation I8217;m better than him,8221; Ferrer said, laughing.

With Nadal a lefty, the two men played like mirror images with their preference for the baseline, sharply angled winners and utmost refusal to give up on almost every shot.