By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Sights and sounds of a Shanghai welcome party greeted Roger Federer today.
A massive Swiss flag waving from the stands, sustained applause as Federer caught fire in the tie break and even a second-set marriage proposal from a male fan screaming out “Roger will you marry me?!” all pointed to the passion fans brought for the Wimbledon champion’s first Shanghai appearance in two years.
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The second-seeded Swiss delivered dynamic tennis to the party.
Federer fired 14 aces, including successive aces to seal a stylish 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over a scrappy Diego Schwartzman at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
It was Federer’s first Shanghai victory since he defeated Gilles Simon, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (2), to capture the 2014 Shanghai Rolex Masters championship.
Launching his quest for his sixth title this season, the 36-year-old Swiss raised his 2017 record to 40-4, including a 28-3 mark on hard courts.
In a match that popped with some stellar attacking tennis, sharp angles and a body blow, Federer effectively used the angled slice backhand to displace the speedy Argentine before finishing with his forehand. Federer hit 21 more winners than the US Open quarterfinalist—38 to 17—including 17 from his versatile forehand.
Despite losing seven of eight prior sets to the 19-time Grand Slam champion, Schwartzman suffered no shortage of confidence.
Throughout much of the first set, Schwartzman stood toe-to-toe with Federer in baseline rallies creating some entertaining exchanges.
Slashing a forehand crosscourt, Federer cruised forward and floated a fine drop volley winner for the first break point in the fourth game. Aided by a net cord, Schwartzman saved it, eventually holding for 2-2.
Schwartzman saved a third break point in the sixth game only to see Federer bamboozle him by taking all the pace off the ball.
Carving a series of no-pace slice backhands, Federer moved his opponent side-to-side. A 20-shot rally ended with the Argentine pushing a drop shot into net. Federer gained the first break for 4-2 after 26 minutes.
Undaunted, Schwartzman ripped a pair of rousing return winners for triple break point in the seventh game. Federer fought off all three, spinning an inside-out forehand winner punctuated with a “come on!” to draw even at deuce.
Trying to take the ball on the rise, Federer misfired on successive forehands as Schwartzman broke right back. Schwartzman fended off another break point leveling after eight games.
Hanging tough throughout the set, the 5-foot-7 Argentine forced the tie break.
A crunching forehand down the line staked Schwartzman to a 2-0 lead.
Federer elevated his level with emphatic answers. An ace, followed by a leaping smash off a high lob and successive forehand errors sparked a five-point run for Federer.
The Swiss slide his seventh ace wide for three set points. When the world No. 26 pasted a forehand into net, Federer had a one-set lead after 55 minutes.
Schwartzman, who jawed at Carlos Bernardes after a couple of the chair umpire’s over-rules, engaged in another exchange with the chair dropping serve at love to start the second set.
In the fourth game, Federer fired his ninth ace down the middle fending off a break point. Slicing a bounce-smash from the baseline, the 36-year-old Swiss stretched his lead to 3-1.
Still, a stubborn Schwartzman opened a love-30 lead in the final game and saved a match point. Federer slid an ace down the T for a second match point then slashed his 14th ace out wide closing a 93-minute conquest.
The second-seeded Federer will face Alexandr Dolgopolov for a place in the quarterfinals.
The Ukrainian qualifier withstood 22 aces from Feliciano Lopez in a 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-4 victory over the Spanish left hander. Federer is 4-0 lifetime vs. Dolgopolov, who has retired from two of those matches, including the Wimbledon first-round in June.