Federer and Nadal win first matches in Shanghai
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won their opening matches at the Shanghai Masters 1000.
Facing the big-serving John Isner in his opening match, Federer secured the only break point of the first set, and had the opportunity to go a break up in the opening game of the second set, before Isner served himself out of trouble on that occasion.
The break, however, finally came in the seventh game of the second set – a game the Wimbledon marathon man opened with a double fault and ended with a backhand error – and it was to prove decisive as Isner was unable to even create a break point opportunity against the precise Federer serve for the duration of the match.
In all, Federer’s 6-3, 6-4 win in his first match since bowing out to Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals, was a reminder the 29-year-old still possesses all the skill and touch that has shaped him into one of the game’s greats, even if that aura of invincibility has taken a battering in 2010.
Still, having fallen short at the year’s final three Grand Slams, losing in the quarter-finals of the French Open and Wimbledon after arriving at both tournaments as defending champion, there will be no shortage of motivation for the 16-time Grand Slam champion to prove he’s not a spent force yet.
Winning the title in a Shanghai draw that includes every player in the top 20 would be just the way to do it; today was the first small step along that path.
A player with no need to prove his supremacy right now is world No. 1 Nadal (who, like Federer, received a first round bye) who has continued to mine his current rich vein of form, moving through to the third round with a 6-4, 6-4 win over US Open quarter-finalist Stanislas Wawrinka.
Nadal remained unbroken for the entire match, the world No. 21 unable to convert the three chances he had to do so, while securing one crucial break in each of the two sets.
It was enough to see the current French Open, Wimbledon and US Open champion move through to a final 16 clash with 13th seed Jurgen Melzer, who faces the unenviable task of attempting to overcome a 0-3 career losing record against the all-conquering Spaniard as he seeks to book a place in the quarter-finals.
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