On a slick surface under a closed roof, Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters.
This marks Federer’s fourth win over Nadal this year in as many attempts, and moves the needle in their career head-to-head to 15 wins for Federer and 23 for Nadal. Federer now owns three 2017 Masters 1000 titles (Indian Wells, Miami and Shanghai), compared with Nadal’s two (Monte Carlo and Madrid).
“We didn’t think we were going to have the year we did,” Federer said after the match. “I didn’t. It’s nice to share the court with you today and hopefully there is more to come in the tournaments we got left.”
Open Era titles…
Connors – 109
Federer – 94 👏👏
Lendl – 94
McEnroe – 77
Nadal – 75#SHRolexMasters pic.twitter.com/3GRfd0WtBN— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 15, 2017
Nadal, serving in the match’s opening game, let Federer get ahead 15-40. But he managed to save the first break point with forehand winner off a short Federer return, and the second on an ace up the T. Federer, though, set up a third break point by hitting a crosscourt backhand winner the just barely grazed the baseline. Then, with a backhand pass down the line, he secured the very early break.
Bringing both touch and firepower, Federer continued to play some of his best tennis, and easily got the first-set score to 5-3.
Serving for the set from 5-4, Federer hit an inside-out forehand winner for 15-0. Then, with back-to-back unreturned serves, he earned three set points. But he needed only one, as he immediately blasted an ace down the center service line, winning Set 1 without being pressured too much at all.
In Set 2, Nadal hung on for the first four games, but, at 2-2, with a backhand into the net, Nadal gave Federer a break point. The Spaniard saved it via serve that Federer couldn’t hit back, but then, Federer, with a lunging backhand drop volley, reclaimed the advantage. And after an errant Nadal backhand, Federer led by a set and a break. He consolidated for 4-2.
Down 3-5, Nadal was serving to stay in the match. By missing a smash directly into the net, he went down 0-40, giving Federer three match points. Nadal fought off the first one with a volley winner, but, on the second, he let a forehand go into the net, giving Federer the title.
