Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro has enjoyed a meteoric rise since July but playing in this week's Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai is just the first of two dreams he will fulfil this month.

The world No. 8 will go straight home after the season-ending tournament for the world's top eight players to prepare for next week's Davis Cup final against Spain.

"For all tennis players it's like a dream to be here," said Del Potro after staying alive at the US$4.45 million event with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) win over France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Tuesday.

"But also next week will be another dream. We've never played the final in Argentina before. All the Argentina people want to win the Davis Cup so it will be great for me too."

The 20-year-old said he was disappointed world No. 1 Rafael Nadal was out of the final because of the same knee injury that has kept the Spaniard away from Shanghai.

Although it would increase Argentina's chances of winning the trophy, he said he would prefer to play full-strength opposition.

Marcel Granollers will replace the Nadal after Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario called on the 56th-ranked player to make his Davis Cup debut at the November 21-23 final on an indoor hard court in Mar del Plata.

Del Potro was 65th in the world as recently as July 7 before he set off on an astonishing winning streak of 23 matches and won ATP titles in Stuttgart, Kitzbuehel, Los Angeles and Washington to move into the top 10.

He also played a major role in getting Argentina to its third Davis Cup final, winning two singles matches, including the decider, in the semifinal against Russia.

The first of those wins came against world No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko, the player Del Potro must beat in his last group match today if he is to progress to the semifinals in Shanghai.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 13, 2008)