Tim Henman's first taste of the ATP Finals for the world's top eight players was a one-off round-robin match against Yevgeny Kafelnikov last year, effectively an exhibition match because the Russian had already qualified for the semi-finals. Henman, pulled out of the National Championships to replace the injured Spaniard Sergi Bruguera, won then.

Today the two meet again at the Paris Indoor Open in a match pivotal to Henman's hopes of making this year's line-up in Germany by right, and with Kafelnikov warning him that he is about to face "probably the toughest match of his career".

"Tim's going to be under a lot more pressure than me and we shall see how he responds to the different circumstances," said Kafelnikov with a menace that smacked more of bravado than true threat.

Kafelnikov, ranked number eight, two places ahead of Henman, has had what he described yesterday as a "disastrous season" and his words were no doubt intended to gain a small psychological edge.

The paths of the two players have frequently crossed during the past few years, notably at Wimbledon in 1996 when Henman beat the Russian, then the reigning French Open champion, in the first round. That was the victory which sent Henman surging to his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Kafelnikov, who like Henman had his 24th birthday this year, holds a 5-3 career lead over the British number one. He beat him in the quarter-finals of the inaugural Guardian Direct Cup this year in London, but Henman turned the tables in the Tashkent final in September.

"I don't deserve to be in the ATP Finals this year, but Tim wants so desperately to qualify," said Kafelnikov after his 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 second-round victory over Sweden's Magnus Norman. "Playing me in Hanover last year was one thing, but trying to qualify for a place in the top eight is something else."

Petr Korda's chances of reaching Hanover were ended when the reigning Australian Open champion was beaten 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Australia's Mark Philippoussis. It had been thought that Korda, aged 30, might retire at the end of this year, but he has committed himself to another 12 months "because I really do enjoy tennis".

Chile's Marcelo Rios, the main threat to Pete Sampras' number one position, trounced Australia's Todd Woodbridge 6-0, 6-4 to reach the last 16, and Sampras beat Sweden's Thomas Johansson 7-6, 6-1.