Shanghai - German hopes at the Shanghai Masters took a blow on Wednesday as 15th seed Tommy Haas was forced to quit after losing the opening set 6-4 against compatriot Rainer Schuettler with a right shoulder injury.

The defeat nudged Schuettler ahead 5-4 in a career series which began nine years ago. Schuettler won the first four before Haas won the following matches ahead of Wednesday.

Spain's 14th seed Tommy Robredo eliminated Florian Mayer 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 to leave Schuettler, the 33-year-old ranked 99th, as the last German in the field at the Qi Zhong centre.

Haas, 31, felt the accumulated weight of his numerous shoulder surgeries as he could not make the quick turnaround after beating compatriot Benjamin Becker in the first round 24 hours earlier.

Schuettler next plays the winner from second seed and last week's Beijing champion Novak Djokovic and Italian Fabio Fognini.

Frenchman Gael Monfils ended the Asian run for Lleyton Hewitt, with the 11th seed carving out a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback effort. Hewitt couldn't manage an ace and was broken six times in a battle lasting just over two hours.

Monfils will play either Ivan Ljubicic or Fernando Verdasco in the third round.

Spaniard Feliciano Lopez upset countryman David Ferrer, the number 16, with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 decision while retiring Marat Safin lost for his last time in China, going down to Czech Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. (dpa)