Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski made it a double success for Britain when they both won their second round matches in straight sets at the Paris Indoor Open at the Bercy Stadium yesterday. But, while Henman believes he still has a great chance of making the eight-man ATP World Championship field at Hanover this month, Rusedski has virtually ruled out his chances.

British number one Henman, who beat 19-year-old Frenchman Arnaud Di Pasquale 6-3 6-3, said after his victory: "If I can win a couple more matches here I shall be right back in contention for Hanover.

"I'm also playing Stockholm next week where I really fancy my chances. It's on a hard court and that will help me more than here."

Rusedski, in contrast, was upbeat about his 6-3 6-4 win over German number one, Nicolas Kiefer, but definitely downbeat on his Hanover prospects.

"Realistically, I don't think I have a shot to make Hanover," he said. "I'm going to need (Richard) Krajicek, (Karol) Kucera and Tim to all perform pretty poorly."

Yet there is still hope for both British stars with Henman ninth in the Hanover table and Rusedski 13th.

Today they both won in exactly the same time - 68 minutes - and both played better in their opening sets than in their second.

Rusedski, on before Henman, beat Kiefer by breaking the German's serve in the fourth game of the first set and again in the first game of the second and did not lose his own serve throughout the match.

But after dropping only four points in five games on his delivery in the first set, Rusedski lost his service rhythm in the second set and had to stave off seven breakpoints; two in the second game, three in the sixth and two more in the eighth.

Henman is likely to play Yevgeny Kafelnikov next and as the Russian also has a fair chance of making Hanover it will be a most important match for the British number one.