HONG KONG -- World number six Juan Carlos Ferrero saw off a determined challenge from countryman Carlos Moya to win the Hong Kong Open 6-3 1-6 7-6 on Sunday.

Second seed Ferrero pulled his way back from a second set slump to win his second title in 2002, which will also help him in his bid to enter the tennis Masters Cup for the second successive year.

"Winning here was important to me. Not only as it will help me book my place in Shanghai but as it will also show the people back home that we Spanish players can play on hard court and are not just clay court specialists," said Ferrero.

The victory boosts Ferrero's position in the ATP champions race. The 35 ATP points Ferrero gained by winning in Hong Kong saw him break a three-way tie for fifth place between himself, Moya and another Spaniard Albert Costa.

Ferrero now moves into fourth place displacing Briton Tim Henman who drops to fifth while Moya falls further down to sixth position in the race that determines who qualifies for the lucrative $3.7 million tennis Masters Cup, the season-ending finale in Shanghai from November 12-17.

"I will have no regrets if I fail to qualify for Shanghai. I have won four titles this year and today I gave it my best shot.

We both deserved to win but in tennis there is only one winner," said Moya.

Organizers, meanwhile, announced that Hong Kong could lose hosting the ATP event next year. An application has been made to move the tournament to Beijing, Reuters reported.

"We have asked the ATP for permission to move the tournament to Beijing in 2003. This is purely due to commercial reasons. We have applied to the ATP and it is very likely that they will back the move," said Director Lincoln Venancio.