PARIS - RISING Argentine star Juan Martin Del Potro is on a roll as his end-of-season plans come to the boil, the tennis globetrotter bidding for glory at the Paris Masters, the Davis Cup and the Masters Cup in Shanghai.

Del Potro has become a household name in recent months in his homeland with four tournament wins catapulting him into the world top ten.

A 6-0, 6-4 mauling of Croatian Mario Ancic at the Bercy Stadium on Tuesday sent the 20-year-old from Tandil into the last 16 in Paris.

But while a title in the City of Light would be more than welcome, the key bonus here is more points to keep him on the road to Shanghai - before he racks up more air miles for the Davis Cup in his homeland against Spain starting November 21.

'I always wake up thinking of Shanghai, Davis Cup or something. But it's good - I have the motivation to play,' smiled Del Potro after crushing Ancic in impressive fashion to earn a meeting either with eighth-seeded Davis Cup teammmate David Nalbandian or German veteran Nicolas Kiefer.

'David is playing very well,' Del Potro noted of his putative rival here after garnering enough points with Tuesday's win to move level on points in the ATP Race with sixth-placed American Andy Roddick - only for the American to swat Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-4 in a late match.

Roddick took the pair's series to 5-0 as he eased through.

If he can make it to the quarters, Del Potro should face British fourth seed Andy Murray.

Third-ranked Novak Djokovic, already qualified for Shanghai, ousted Russia's Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 4-3 when the latter retired through injury after treatment to his right shoulder.

Earlier, Gael Monfils cheered the home fans, ousting Argentine qualifier Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-4.

Monaco had seen off three-time champion Marat Safin the previous day but was unable to recapture that form.

Monfils will have the crowd behind him, but the formbook very much against him, in the next round as he is scheduled to meet world number one Rafael Nadal.

Nadal first has to see off another Frenchman in Florent Serra when the Mallorcan machine makes his bow on Wednesday in the singles.

Serra beat Argentine Guillermo Canas on Tuesday but his match-ups against Nadal at the Australian Open and Cincinnati this year have comprised no-contests, the Frenchman managing just five games in as many sets.

Monfils is likewise hard-pressed to find grounds for confidence.

Asked if he had the weapons in his armoury to beat Nadal, the 22-year-old, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in June, grimaced and noted: 'Not too sure about that!'

Earlier, Swede Robin Soderling, fresh from winning in Lyon, ousted Josselin Ouanna 6-3, 6-4 to set up a meeting with world number two Roger Federer - against whom he is 0-7 lifetime. -- AFP