Highlights Federer Nadal Set Shanghai Final Showdown
Highlights Federer Nadal Set Shanghai Final Showdown
Oct142017
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Roger Federer will face longtime rival Rafael Nadal for the fourth time this season after coming from a set down to defeat Juan Martin del Potro, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. The 2014 champion advances to his third final at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.
After failing to capitalise on four consecutive break points while down a set and up 3-2 in the second set, it appeared that Federer might be denied a meeting with World No. 1 Nadal for the second time in as many months by the Argentine, who defeated him in the quarter-finals at the US Open. But when del Potro missed a forehand wide on the fifth consecutive break point he faced, the 29 year old gave the Swiss all the momentum he needed to turn the match around.
The 36 year old did not face a break point in the final two sets, and broke twice in the decider to advance in one hour and 58 minutes.
Federer will meet Nadal for the third time in a final in 2017. The Swiss has won on all three occasions, and will look to close a 14-23 deficit in the pair’s FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry.
More to come.
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World number one Rafael Nadal produced a masterful display to overcome Croat Marin Cilic 7-5 7-6 (7-3) and reach the Shanghai Masters final.
Cilic, who will rise to a career-best fourth, created three set points after early pressure from the Spaniard, who won the opener in 67 minutes.
Nadal, seeking a seventh title of 2017, was broken twice in the second but won a fine match in two hours 11 minutes.
Roger Federer contests the second semi-final with Juan Martin del Potro.
In the first semi-final, the opening game provided much entertainment as it fluctuated during a 10-minute spell in which Cilic had served at 40-0.
Cilic’s first two service games comprised 30 points, while Nadal conceded only three points in his first four games on serve.
But Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion and beaten finalist at Wimbledon this year, gradually imposed himself on proceedings and a crunching forehand down the line from the back of the court earned two break points.
He was unable to take those as Nadal demonstrated his powers of resolve and the Croat, having saved six break points, eventually conceded the only break of the set.
US Open champion Nadal broke in the third game of the second set after Cilic netted two volleys but then lost his own serve as his drop volley also went into the net.
Cilic saved three break points in game nine but then a stunning whipped Nadal forehand down the line on the run created a break that he duly seized.
Cilic was not finished, however, and after saving a match point he dispatched more powerful shots from the baseline to break again.
Nadal, bidding to win the Shanghai title for the first time, calmly served out to force a tie-break and the Spaniard completed his fifth victory in six matches against Cilic, his 16th consecutive victory in all tournaments.
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Former world number one Maria Sharapova reached her first WTA final since returning from a drugs ban as she beat Peng Shuai 6-3 6-1 at the Tianjin Open.
Sharapova, 30, came back to the tour in April following a 15-month ban for taking the banned drug meldonium.
The Russian beat defending champion Peng in 78 minutes and maintained her record of not dropping a set this week.
She will play 19-year-old world number 102 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who beat Italy’s Sara Errani 6-1 6-3.
Sharapova, ranked 86th in the world, made the last 16 at the US Open in September and also reached the last 16 in Beijing last week, before losing to world number one Simona Halep.
It is her first final since May 2015, when she won the Italian Open.
In June the following year she received a two-year ban for a prohibited substance but in October 2016 that was reduced to 15 months after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
She lost to Peng in China in 2009 but that remains her only defeat in seven meetings with the third seed and world number 25.
Sharapova will now face Sabalenka for the first time after the teenager fired 10 aces in a 58-minute straight-sets victory over Errani, winner of nine WTA titles.
Sabalenka seized her chances in clinical fashion against the 30-year-old world number 280, claiming a 100% record on break point opportunities.
The penultimate ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season, the Shanghai Rolex Masters, is poised for a dramatic finale. While the tournament is down to four players, the excitement is only increasing with tantalising match-ups on Saturday in the semi-finals.
Three of the top four seeds remain, with second seed Roger Federer the only player to have previously won the title. While No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 16 Juan Martin del Potro have reached the final, in 2009 and 2013, respectively, No. 4 Marin Cilic is appearing in his first Shanghai semi-final, playing to guarantee his spot in the Nitto ATP Finals.
Plenty is on the line in the day’s first singles match, as Nadal brings a 4-1 lead in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Cilic, who is looking for his second win against a World No. 1. But perhaps more importantly, the Spaniard will look to extend his 15-match winning streak, which would put on hold the Croatian’s opportunity to qualify for London.
“He always is a very dangerous opponent, and I think this surface, this court helps him,” said Nadal of Cilic. “Yeah, will be a tough one. It’s true that I am playing well. Let’s see. I know that I need to be very focused with my serve again, and I need to play aggressive and don’t let him play from comfortable positions. If not, I will be almost dead because he’s going to go for the shots and [it’s] going to be very difficult.”
Nadal is 9-0 in semi-final matches this season and is appearing in his fourth Shanghai semi-final (1-2). He reached the final in the event’s first year, 2009 (l. to Davydenko), and the semi-finals in 2013 (l. to del Potro) and 2015 (l. to Tsonga). Nadal, who has held in all 32 of his service games this week, is attempting to reach his tour-leading 10th final (6-3) of the season and 111th in his career (75-35). Nadal is also trying to earn a 31st career ATP Masters 1000 title, which would break the record that he shares with Novak Djokovic.
Cilic is playing in his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final (1-1). He won his maiden Masters 1000 title at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last year. Cilic, who has saved eight of nine break points to hold serve in 30 of 31 games this week, is 1-2 in finals (won the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open) this season and 17-13 overall in his career. He has won at least one ATP World Tour title for 10 consecutive years.
In the evening match, Federer and del Potro meet for the 23rd time, and the third in 2017. Federer holds a 16-6 FedEx ATP Head2Head series advantage, including an 11-6 edge on hard courts.
Del Potro fell while running around a backhand to hit a forehand during the third set of his victory over Viktor Troicki in the quarter-finals, hurting his surgically-repaired left wrist. The Argentine’s communications manager Jorge Viale tweeted that he suffered a contusion.
“I did see the fall. I saw the match. It was a good match,” Federer said. “I hope for now that Juan Martin can recover and we can play a normal match tomorrow.”
Federer is making his fourth semi-final showing in Shanghai (2-1), winning the 2014 title (d. Simon), reaching the 2010 final (l. to Murray) and the semi-finals in 2012 (l. to Murray). He is 6-0 in semi-final matches in 2017 (5-1 in finals). The Swiss is trying to reach his 143rd final (93-49) and will tie Ivan Lendl for second place on the Open Era titles list with his next trophy. He owns the most Masters 1000 wins (349) and is No. 3 with 26 Masters 1000 titles.
Del Potro is attempting to climb into contention in the Emirates ATP Race To London, after starting the week at No. 25. He prevented the first Federer-Nadal clash at the US Open when he eliminated the Swiss in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows this September. Del Potro is appearing in his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final since Shanghai in 2013, when he reached the final (l. to Djokovic). He is looking to advance to his first ATP World Tour final since winning the Intrum Stockholm Open last October (d. Sock). He has yet to win a Masters 1000 crown, advancing to three previous finals.
Del Potro will return to the Top 20 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday for the first time since Oct. 6, 2014 (at No. 19).
Regardless of Saturday’s results, Shanghai will surely get an enthralling final on Sunday in the penultimate Masters 1000 event of the season.
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