Shanghai Flashback: Roger Federer ousts Kei Nishikori to reach the semis

World no. 2 and two-time Shanghai champion Roger Federer stayed on the title defense course in 2018 after a 6-4, 7-6 victory over Kei Nishikori in an hour and 51 minutes. Roger advanced to the 63rd Masters 1000 semi-final, earning it after playing on a higher level than against Medvedev and Bautista Agut, beating the Japanese for the sixth time in eight encounters and for the fifth time after Miami 2014. It was the clash of the highest order, as the two rivals stayed neck and neck after an initial lead for Roger. The Japanese started to play better and remained in contention until the second set tie break, that he could have won. Federer served at 71% and hit ten aces, fending off four out of six break points and stealing Kei's serve three times from eight chances (six in the opening game of the match alone) to seal the deal in straight sets. Roger blasted 43 winners, hitting with great pace from both serve, forehand and backhand, staying on 35 unforced errors for an excellent performance.

Kei had 27 winners and 24 unforced errors, but that wasn't enough to grab a set, squandering a 4-1 lead in the second set tie break to finish his journey in the quarters. Nishikori had the advantage in the longer rallies, but Federer erased that deficit in the shortest points up to four strokes, winning 62 out of 102 to emerge as a winner and stay on the course for the first title since Stuttgart in June. Roger converted the sixth break chance at the start of the match after a lucky net cord and moved 4-1 ahead with another break in game five when Nishikori failed to control a deep return.

In 2018, Roger Federer prevailed against Kei Nishikori to reach the semis.

The Japanese pulled one break back in the next game after a return winner and help from the net, building the momentum and staying in touch with Roger for the next 80 minutes. There were no more break opportunities in the rest of the set, and Federer closed it with an ace after 47 minutes.

Nishikori faced just one break point in the second set, and Roger converted it in the opening game after a costly double fault from his rival who was now in a very tough position. Kei wasted a break chance in the next game and two more in game four before he finally broke back when Roger sent an easy backhand wide at 3-2. Both players served well in the next five games and Federer served to stay in the set at 5-6, bringing the game home after two deuces to set up a tie break. There, Kei moved 4-1 ahead after a service winner, but it wasn't to be for him, with Roger reducing the gap to 4-3 with two service winners. Another forehand winner pulled a mini-break back for the Swiss, who fired another to take the lead and close the match with a volley winner at 6-4.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3jODNlt