Kyle Edmund was brushed aside in straight sets by the clinical Alexander Zverev in their Shanghai Masters quarter-final.
Edmund was seeking to reach his first Masters 1000 semi-final but the world No 4 maintained his 100 per cent record against the Briton with a 6-4 6-4 victory.
Zverev took both of his break point opportunities and made only 12 unforced errors, as opposed to his opponent's 23, to set up a last-four clash against Novak Djokovic who beat Kevin Anderson 7-6 6-3.
Zverev's latest win earns him a spot at the ATP Finals in London - Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro have already qualified for the eight-player tournament.
Marin Cilic, Anderson and Dominic Thiem are favourites to make up the eight-man group.
Zverev said: "It's great to finally officially make it and again be a part of the best eight. It is a goal for everyone at the beginning of the season."
Edmund is currently 12th in the race to London, 1,590 points behind Thiem in eighth place.
Djokovic saved set point in the opener before taking control of the tie break and the second set to dump out the South African seventh seed in efficient fashion.
The 31-year-old from Serbia is in sparkling form, winning Wimbledon, the Cincinnati Masters and US Open in recent months, after having elbow surgery in February and remains firmly on course to win a record fourth Shanghai title.
Zverev won his only encounter against Djokovic in the 2017 Rome final.
"It was a different surface," Djokovic said of their previous match. "I wasn't, I feel like, playing as well as I'm playing today.
"But also, he has improved a lot, and he has established himself as a top player. It's going to be definitely a close match."
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