Andy Murray stuns Roger Federer to enter final showdown – Shanghai Rolex Masters 2012
Defending champion, Andy Murray, got the better of the top seed, Roger Federer, in straight sets at the Shanghai Rolex Masters 2012 on Saturday. He notched up a 6-4, 6-4 victory against the Swiss Maestro to power into the title-round at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.
Seeded third in this event, Murray unveiled his true colours to outfox the world number one in their 18th battle against each other. After recording the victory in one hour and 38 minutes, the Brit not only improved to a 10-8 lifetime in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head Series against Federer but also booked a spot in the final round at this hard court event. The contestants last met each other at the final showdown of London Olympics where Murray outmuscled the Swiss ace with a breadstick to capture the gold medal and avenge his loss at the Wimbledon Championships.
Murray commented in a courtside interview after conquering the Swiss number one:
"He didn't serve that well for him tonight, so I was able to be very aggressive on his second serve. He maybe slowed down his first serve a little bit, so I was able to take a few more chances. When you're beating the best player of all time probably, it's obviously going to be special."
The 25-year-old thundered into this ATP Masters 1000 event. He drew the first blood in the opening game and took the initial lead. The Scot failed to block the lone breakpoint he faced but capitalised on another break chance in the second last game, eventually sealing the opener by winning six games to four.
Ranked third in the world, Murray maintained his intensity in the following set. He swiftly bagged his entire serves without facing any barrier. The Scot marked one out of eight break opportunities in the fifth game and eventually clinched the set with a 6-4 score line.
Murray will square off against the former world number one, Novak Djokovic, for a chance to grab his fourth year-to-date title:
The Dunblane, Scotland native commented about his next match-up:
"I've known him for 14, 15 years now. We've obviously had some incredibly tough matches which can maybe test a friendship. But we've always been I think pretty respectful of each other."
The second seed overpowered fourth seeded Tomas Berdych in straight sets to progress at this event.
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