TENNIS ATP SHANGHAI – David Ferrer fought back from a set down to overcome Andy Murray with 2-6 6-1 6-2 in the third round of the Shanghai Rolex Master to boost his chances to qualify for the ATP Finals in London. Roger Federer beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4 6-2. Novak Djokovic was forced by Mikhail Kukushkin to the third set before prevailing with 6-3 4-6 6-4. Diego Sampaolo
Murray, who beat Ferrer in the Shanghai final in 2011, got off to a good start in the first set where he broke serve in the opening set and dropped just four points on serve. The Dunblane player got a double break to seal the first set in 36 minutes. However the match changed completely in the second and the third sets. Ferrer got a break lead in the second set to cruise to a 6-1 win in the second set to force the match to the decider. The Spanish player cruised to a 5-2 lead with a double break to seal the win. Murray won just three of his 18 points on the second serve in the second and the third sets.
Murray still leads 7-6 in his head-to-head matches against Ferrer, although the Spaniard broke a two-match losing streak.
Ferrer overtakes Murray in the ATP Race to London in ninth place with 3715 points ahead of the Scotsman who is ranked 10th wit 3655 points. Ferrer is just 35 points behind Number 8 Milos Raonic who is currently eighth with 3750 points. Murray’s hopes to qualify for the ATP Finals in London are now slim, although he has not lost all his chances. If Murray had beaten Ferrer, he would have moved to within of the eighth place
“I needed to play my best tennis. This match was very important for both players. Today was a good victory”, said Ferrer
“He barely missed a ball for a set and a half. I couldn’t find a way around him. He just played great tennis, especially the last set and a half. At the beginning of the second set I still had a couple of opportunities, but after that I have got to give it to him. He played fantastically well and deserved to win”, said Murray
Ferrer will face Novak Djokovic who had to fight hard to battle past Mikhail Kukushkin in three sets with 6-3 4-6 6-4 to extend his winning streak on Chinese soil to 27 match wins in a row, including the five titles in Beijing and the two trophies won at the Shanghai Rolex Master in 2012 and 2013.
Djokovic broke serve in the eighth game of the opening set to take a 5-3 lead and held serve to 15 in the final game to wrap it up after 31 minutes.
Kukushkin played aggressively from the baseline and won the first three games of the second set to take a 3-0 lead in the second set before pulling away to 5-2. Djokovic fended off a set point at 2-5 30-40 before breaking serve for 4-5. The Kazakh player hit a forehand winner to convert on his third set point to force the match to the decider. Kukushkin broke the losing streak of 13 consecutive sets won by Djokovic in their previous head-to-head matches.
In the fifth game of the third set Kukushkin saved two break points before Djokovic converted on his third chance to take a 3-2 lead. Djokovic won 81 percent of his first service points in the third set.
Djokovic leads 12-5 in his previous head-to-head matches against Ferrer and has not lost against the Valencia native since the 2011 ATP Finals.
“I congratulate him for fighting. I am really glad to come out as the winner and stay mentally strong. I won because I fought my way through”, said Djokovic
Roger Federer eased past Roberto Bautista Agut with 6-4 6-2 one day after surviving “the great escape” in the second round match against Leonardo Mayer where he had to save five match points. In comparison to yesterday’s match, the third round match against Bautista Agut looked like a routine win for Federer. The Swiss legend wasted five break point chances before converting on his sixth opportunity to 15 in the 10th game to convert on his first set point with 6-4 after 42 minutes.
In the second set Federer cruised to a 3-0 lead before saving the only break point chance he faced at 4-2. Federer cruised to 5-2 before sealing the win as Bautista Agut hit his backhand return into the net. In the quarter finals Federer will face Frenchman Julien Benneteau who advanced to the quarter final with his 6-3 6-4 win over Jack Sock. Federer leads 5-2 in his head-to-head matches against Benneteau who won their last hard-court match in Rotterdam in 2013 with 6-3 7-5. Benneteau also qualified for the doubles semifinals teaming up with Edouard Roger-Vasselin. The French team beat Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares 3-6 6-3 10-7.
Tomas Berdych beat Ivo Karlovic 6-3 6-4 to advance to the quarter finals where he will face Frenchman Giles Simon who continued his good period of form winning in straight sets over Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri with 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 14 minutes.
Berdych could overtake US Open champion Marin Cilic at Number 6 in the ATP Race to London if he beats Simon tomorrow. The Czech player, runner.up in Beijing, is just 45 points behind Cilic who lost in the first round of the Shanghai Rolex Master against Karlovic last Monday
Berdych, who reached the semifinal in Shanghai in 2012 converted on his second break point chance in the sixth game of the first set to take a 4-2 lead. Berdych did not face a single break point chance in the whole match and closed out with 6-3 6-4.
Giles Simon, who beat Stan Wawrinka in the second round yesterday, got a double break in the first set for 4-1 and 5-2. Jaziri earned two break point chances in the first game of the second set but Simon saved them. The Frenchman broke serve in the sixth game of the second set to pull away to 4-2 and closed the match on his serve.
Mikhail Youzhny recovered from a set down to battle past Juan Monaco with 5-7 6-3 6-2 to clinch the third of their four head-to-head matches. The Russian player will play his first Master 1000 quarter final since Miami 2010.
Feliciano Lopez, who upset Rafa Nadal yesterday, defeated John Isner 6-3 6-4
These are the quarter finals at the Shanghai Rolex Master:
Novak Djokovic vs David Ferrer
Roger Federer vs Julien Benneteau
Tomas Berdych vs Giles Simon
Mikhail Youzhny vs Feliciano Lopez
