Roger Federer fell short of reaching his fourth Rolex Shanghai Masters final on Saturday, losing in straight sets to the ever-improving Borna Coric. And while the loss is disappointing, the top seed is taking positives from his first event since the US Open.

“I must say I felt overall actually pretty good. So I’m happy about that,” Federer said. “It’s definitely something I can build on now for Basel and then for London and maybe Paris. I’m happy how the body has felt this week.”

Federer, who is next scheduled to play at the Swiss Indoors Basel (begins 22 October), a tournament he has won eight times, will drop to No. 3 in the ATP Rankings on Monday, with Novak Djokovic ascending to the No. 2 spot. But the Swiss did well to battle through two tough three-setters against Daniil Medvedev and Roberto Bautista Agut in Shanghai before showing some of his best form in ousting red-hot Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals.

“I’m actually happy. I feel like I’m explosive out there, returning well. Serving, I think, it’s okay, could be even a little bit better. I don’t think I played a match where I didn’t get broken, so that’s something a bit more unusual for me,” said Federer, who has already guaranteed his spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. “But regardless, I think the court allowed for great ball striking. I felt like I got some great rhythm, whereas in Cincinnati I came out of the tournament, I was, like, ‘I don’t know where my game is. It’s the finals. Not bad. But I couldn’t tell you if I’m hitting the ball well or not’.”

Federer is referring to this year’s Western & Southern Open where he lost to Djokovic in the final as the Serbian completed his Career Golden Masters by lifting the only ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy he was missing. Perhaps the one thing the Swiss will focus on moving forward is holding serve.

The 37-year-old began the week fifth all-time in service games won at 88.8 per cent, according to Infosys ATP Scores & Stats. This week, he was victorious in 41 of 50 service games, a rate of 82 per cent. Coric broke Federer twice in the semi-finals.

“He didn’t give me many chances on his serve, and for me to stay with him, I should have maybe done a better job on my own serve,” Federer said. “But then again, it wasn’t bad either. And then in the rallies, I thought he had more punch than me. Maybe it’s a lot of tennis this week, but quite honestly, I’m happy how I’m playing… This was a good week again. I’m happy about my reaction after the US Open.”

As simple as it sounds, Coric was simply the better player on Saturday evening. For Federer, there’s no big secret about it.

“I thought he was better. I think he had more punch on the ball. He served better,” Federer said. “I think that’s it.”

Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo have become the fourth doubles team to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 11-18 November. The Polish-Brazilian team secured their place as a result of advancing on Saturday to the Rolex Shanghai Masters final, which represented their sixth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title match (3-2 record).

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Kubot and Melo have captured three ATP World Tour titles in 2018 on the hard courts of the Sydney International (d. Struff/Troicki) and the China Open in Beijing (d. Marach/Pavic), plus the Gerry Weber Open grass-court crown in Halle (d. Zverev/Zverev). Last month, the duo also finished runner-up at the US Open (l. to M. Bryan/Sock).

Melo has now qualified for the prestigious season finale for the sixth straight year (since 2013). Three years ago, the Brazilian advanced to the final in London with Ivan Dodig (l. to Bryans). Kubot has competed at The O2 in London in 2009-10, 2014 and 2017, when, together with Melo, they finished as the year-end No. 1 team and advanced to the championship match (l. to Kontinen/Peers).

Kubot, currently World No. 5, became No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time on 8 January 2018 and has spent a total of 19 weeks at the summit of men’s professional tennis. Melo has also led the team game, on a total of four occasions for 56 weeks overall.

It’s fair to say Novak Djokovic is a much different player now than he was when he and Alexander Zverev first squared off in a battle of generations in the 2017 Internazionali BNL d’Italia final in Rome.

At the time, Djokovic was in the midst of change and frustration. He had split with his longtime team two weeks earlier, and the Serbian had celebrated only two titles in the past nine months.

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Federer v Coric | Djokovic v Zverev

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Look ahead 17 months, though, and the 31-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champion might be reaching a new peak. He has won 16 consecutive matches, dating back to his titles at the Western & Southern Open and US Open, and is into his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final of the season (Cincinnati, Rome) at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

“I wasn’t, I feel like, playing as well as I’m playing today,” Djokovic said. “I’m very grateful to play on a high level. I think that I’m very close to my best, and ‘best’ changes day to day. I can always strive to be the best I can be on that given day.”

But Zverev also hasn’t stood still since winning his first Masters 1000 title on clay against Djokovic. The German has won two more Masters 1000 titles, become a Top 5 staple on the ATP World Tour and, on Friday, secured his second consecutive trip to the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, to be held 11-18 November at The O2 in London.

“I think every year you feel more mature. Ever year you spend on tour, you feel kind of different,” Zverev said. “Last year was the first time I kind of broke through to the Top 10 and was a Top 5 player. It’s always easier to get there, but then staying there is always the tougher part.

“[I’m] solidifying that I am a Top 5 player this year, and obviously with Novak coming back, winning two Grand Slams, and other players like Del Potro playing great again, it was a much tougher year, for sure, but I feel like I’m a better player. I feel like I’m still competing for the best and biggest tournaments.”

Djokovic compared their Saturday semi-final to his quarter-final on Thursday, when he dismissed 6’8” Kevin Anderson in straight sets.

“It’s going to be definitely a close match, I think, quite similar in style of the play to today’s match. Kevin is a big server, big hitter from the back of the court, really aggressive, tall. Sascha is similar to that,” Djokovic said.

“In these kind of conditions, everything happens so quickly, so I have to be alert and very focused from the very first point, try to get as many serves back in play as I have done today.”

If the Serbian beats Zverev, he will return to No. 2 in the ATP Rankings. But in Saturday’s other semi-final, Roger Federer will try to do all he can to stay No. 2.

Watch Federer Hit Backhand Winner On The Run Against Nishikori

Watch Federer Unleash Against Nishikori

The top-seeded Swiss will meet Croatian Borna Coric in a rematch of their BNP Paribas Open semi-final, which Federer won in three sets in Indian Wells. But Coric gained revenge in June, beating the 98-time tour-level titlist in the Gerry Weber Open final in Halle.

“Both matches were very, very close… [In Halle,] it was close all the way till the end. He was better on the big points. It was tough. He played really well, I thought,” Federer said.

“He’s good in defence. He has a transition game now too, and he’s got a solid serve. He’s had a good tournament here again. I have always played him when he’s playing well. I expect it to be tough. I hope I can take it to him and play up in the court and play aggressive.”

The Swiss reached the semi-finals with his best match yet in Shanghai, a straight-sets win against Kei Nishikori. Federer was hitting aggressively all match, trying to take advantage of the quick Shanghai courts.

Beat Coric and Federer will have a chance to play for his third Shanghai crown on Sunday. Coric advanced to the semi-finals by beating Aussie Matthew Ebden to make his second Masters 1000 semi-final of the season. He’ll try to re-create his Halle magic and reach his first Masters 1000 final in Shanghai.