By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 11, 2018
Roger Federer relied on survival skills to subdue Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, and advance to the Rolex Shanghai Masters quarterfinals.
Photo credit: Rolex Shanghai Masters
Net skills helped Roger Federer squeeze out a tight Shanghai opener yesterday.
Today, the reigning champion relied on survival skills to subdue Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, and advance to the Rolex Shanghai Masters quarterfinals.
Watch: Top 5 Impressions
The top-seeded Swiss scored his seventh straight Shanghai win while extending his career dominance over the strong-willed Spaniard to 8-0, but this was a very tough test for Federer.
For the second straight day, Federer was deadlocked at 4-all in the final set before fighting his way through with decisive shotmaking under pressure.
Bautista Agut broke three times in the second set to snap a 17-set losing streak vs. the Swiss and take his first-ever set over the world No. 2. The final set was a dogfight with neither man gaining separation until the ninth game when Federer found the line with his favored forehand to break for 5-4.
Playing for his third Shanghai crown and 28th Masters championship, Federer will face Kei Nishikori for a place in the final four.
Nishikori withstood 16 aces from Sam Querrey and scored the lone break of the match defusing the explosive American, 7-6 (7), 6-4, to reach his ninth quarterfinal of the season.
The 2011 Shanghai semifinalist has won 13 of his last 16 matches as he climbs back toward the Top 10.
Novak Djokovic moved closer toward supplanting Federer as world No. 2.
The reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion crushed Marco Cecchinato, 6-4, 6-0, extending his winning streak to 15 matches.
"I was making him play always an extra shot," Djokovic said. "I was aggressive when I needed to be. The second set was perfect, really.
"I wanted to start off well because I know that he battles hard and he makes you deserve every point, win every point."
Djokovic has won 28 of his last 30 matches since suffering a shocking loss to then-No. 72 Cecchinato in the Roland Garros quarterfinals on June 5th.
Bidding for his fourth career Shanghai title, Djokovic can succeed Federer as world No. 2 by reaching the Shanghai final.
The only man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles will take on Kevin Anderson in a rematch of the Wimbledon final.
The seventh-seeded South African edged Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-4, 7-6 (1).
Anderson served 73 percent, smacked 10 aces and dropped just eight points on his first serve in advancing to his 10th quarterfinal of the season.
The eighth-ranked Anderson raised his 2018 record to 40-15 marking the third time in his career he's registered 40 or more wins in a single season.
Receiving rousing support from Shanghai fans, Federer was on track for another routine win over Bautista Agut, but the Spaniard was in no mood for business as usual.
Federer took the first set—his 17th straight set over the Spaniard—and went up a break in the second.
Undaunted, Bautista Agut dialed in his return game and broke twice in succession, including sliding a forehand winner down the line for 3-1. Bautista Agut rolled through a love hold to back up the break.
The shocking aspect of the set was not that Bautista Agut was winning, but rather the accuracy with which he read the Swiss' serve.
Ripping his returns, Bautista Agut earned set point when Federer steered a forehand down the line wide then scored his third break of the set to force a decider when Federer netted a backhand.
The world No. 28 cranked a forehand drive volley to save break point in the first game of the final set.
Trying to change direction behind the baseline, the Spaniard slipped and crashed to the court landing hard on his right hip and right elbow on the second point of the second game. Bautista Agut arose slowly and continued to hammer his drives.
By then, Bautista Agut was winning most of the longer baseline exchanges. Federer denied a break point in the second game before Bautista Agut saved another break point holding for a 2-1 lead.
A primary problem for Federer was winning points on his second serve. Compounding the issue was the fact Bautista Agut was staying strong in baseline rallies breezing through a hold for 4-3.
Two games later, Federer fired a forehand down the line for break point but pushed a backhand return long.
The final 10 minutes of the match produced some of Federer's most ambitious play.
Summoning his most dynamic shot-making of the set, Federer danced around his backhand flashed a forehand winner smack off the baseline capping a tense six-and-a-half minute game with his third break for 5-4.
That break empowered Federer who stamped a love hold to salvage a one hour, 51-minute victory that was a tenuous test.
Alexander Zverev saved all five break points he faced pounding out a 6-1, 6-4, victory over Alex de Minaur. It was Zverev's third win in as many meetings with the 19-year-old Aussie.
The fourth-seeded Zverev will face 11th-seeded Kyle Edmund in the quarterfinals.
The British No. 1 beat Nicolas Jarry, 7-6 (5), 6-3.