By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Reigning Shanghai champion Roger Federer relied on slick net skills snapping Daniil Medvedev's eight-match win streak with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 triumph.
Photo credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Homogenized surfaces and high-tech strings box pros into a predictable baseline game, one tennis theory tells us.
Don't tell that to Roger Federer.
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Clearly, he's not listening.
Facing a barrage of blasts from dangerous Daniil Medvedev, Federer answered with forward thinking.
Streaking forward on three straight serve-and-volleys in the decider, Federer repelled the red-hot Russian, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, in his Rolex Shanghai Masters opener that sent a scare into red-clad Fed fans.
The reigning champion scored his sixth straight Shanghai win while snapping Medvedev's eight-match winning streak.
It wasn't easy.
"In the third set I really started to figure it out," Federer said. "How aggressive or how tactical I wanted to make the match, and by trying everything, I found a solution at the end.
"Of course I feel pressure from the tournament organizers, the fans, my team, myself, because I know that sometimes coming through a tough first round can be the key to what's to come afterwards. Today was very close to maybe not getting that next step."
Continuing his quest for a third Shanghai title and 28th Masters crown, Federer advanced to a round of 16 encounter with Roberto Bautista Agut.
The Spanish veteran reeled off six straight games stopping American qualifier Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, one round after McDonald upset 14th-seeded Milos Raonics.
Playing his first match since falling to 55th-ranked Aussie John Millman in four sets at the US Open in a steamy, sticky New York night, Federer turned the tide with timely trips to net.
The top seed won 29 of 42 trips to net.
Facing a flat-hitting opponent, Federer delivered his most dynamic net play at crunch time.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion flowed through a series of serve-and-volley points holding for 4-all in the final set, exploited a fortuitous net cord to break for 5-4 then served out his 25th hard-court win of the season.
The 37-year-old Swiss hit 10 more winners than Medvedev—38 to 28—raising his record to 37-6.
This first meeting between the pair carried more weight than a standard Masters opener as Federer was facing a streaking opponent while trying to defend his title and retain the second spot in the rankings.
Federer can retain the world No. 2 ranking by winning his third Shanghai title, provided third-ranked Novak Djokovic does not reach the final. Juan Martin del Potro has a shot at the second spot if he wins his second Masters title and Djokovic fails to reach the semifinals.
The third-seeded del Potro defeated Richard Gasquet, 7-5, 7-6 (7) and will play Borna Coric for a place in the quarterfinals. Del Potro, who cited illness and fatigue falling to Nikoloz Basilashvili in the Beijing final on Sunday, said he's not feeling 100 percent.
"It wasn't easy to play for me today, I did what I can," del Potro said. "I didn't run too much. But I'm going like hour by hour and see how I'm feeling.
"I got lucky that I won, but tomorrow will be a different day. If I have a good night today and I have a good recovery tomorrow morning, maybe I will feel a little bit better for tomorrow night and play better than today."
"Start Me Up", the Rolling Stones' standard, blared from the Shanghai sound system as Federer walked on court seemingly taking the tune to heart.
Bursting out of the blocks quickly, Federer broke in the opening game as he won eight of the first 10 points for a 2-0 lead.
The Swiss in pale pink streaked forward for a pair of volleys and a love-30 lead in the ninth game. Cracking a forehand into the corner, Federer glided forward knifing a backhand volley for double break point.
The Russian's forehand win is typically more unruly than his two-handed backhand. Medvedev floated a forehand as Federer scored his second break for 5-4.
A drop shot brought the top seed to double set point. Federer finished off the 35-minute opener blocking a backhand volley into the corner.
The Tokyo champion showed superb racquet skills of his own.
Opening the fifth game of the second set with a flash of flair, Medvedev flicked a full-stretch backhand volley with such absurd backspin the ball bounced over the net then crawled back on his side of the court. That Medvedev miracle shot elicited appreciative applause from Federer.
Growing in confidence as the set progressed, Medvedev was popping his serve. The Russian's low ball toss makes the direction of his delivery tough to read. Medvedev won 19 of 23 points played on his first serve in the second set seizing a 5-4 lead.
The Russian won a cat-and-mouse net exchange then Federer misfired on a forehand to face set point. Moving quickly to a mid-court ball, the world No. 22 lashed an inside-out forehand winner to force a final set after 71 minutes.
Throughout much of the first two sets, Federer tried finding the Russian's forehand wing, but Medvedev withstood the tests.
Facing a break point in his opening game of the third set, Federer flashed a slider serve out wide punctuated with a loud "come on!" The two-time Shanghai champion held firm.
Medvedev saved a break point when Federer shanked a wild forehand eventually holding for 2-1.
Serving at 30-all in the eighth game, Federer deployed the serve and volley using a stretch forehand volley to earn game point. On his second straight serve-and-volley, Federer soared for a high backhand smash but couldn't handle Medvedev's reply.
That exchange did not diminish his forward thinking. Serving-and-volleying for the third time in a row, Federer anticipated the down the line drive and met it with a slick stretched volley as he subdued the storm leveling at 4-all.
Deadlocked at 30-all, Medvedev slapped a forehand off the top of the tape that crawled back onto his side for break point. Sending a wild forehand wide, the Russian donated the break and a 5-4 lead.
Sliding a serve winner out wide, Federer sealed an entertaining and tight test in one hour, 52 minutes.