Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer progress in Shanghai
Rafael Nadal bypassed Stanislas Wawrinka in the second round of the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday, while Roger Federer overcame John Isner to reach the third round of the tournament.
Nadal defeated Wawrinka in two straight sets, winning 6–4 6–4 after being tested by the Swiss.
"It is a very good result," the world number one told www.atptour.com after the victory, adding that he wasn't too troubled during the game. "Wawrinka is a very good player and it is very difficult to have a victory in straight sets. I am happy for that.
For sure, it wasn't easy, but it wasn't one of these very, very difficult days."
The Spaniard, who recently said a sweep of all four Grand Slams in one season is beyond him, broke early in the first set to gain a 2–0 lead over the recent US Open quarter finalist.
With his trademark defensive tactics and extensive court coverage, Nadal forced Wawrinka to miss two shots as he broke in the seventh game of the second set.
The Swiss had 36 unforced errors during the game, a number far too high to threaten the world number one.
After defending a few strong returns from Wawrinka, the 24-year-old managed to hold his serve and seal the victory. Nadal will now face Jurgen Melzer in Thursday's third round.
Federer pleases the crowd
Federer and Isner played an entertaining game that the world number three saw out in two sets, winning 6–3 6–4 after several crowd-pleasing exchanges that saw both players approach the net.
The Swiss, who was playing his first game since he was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals last month, showed few signs of having been out of action for four weeks as he broke Isner's serve with ease on two occasions.
The game will be remembered for Federer's exquisite between-the-legs return on Isner's attempted lob in the second set.
"The reaction to the shot was amazing, as it usually is. I'm hitting that shot so well now,
it's almost the most consistent shot in tennis these days," Federer said after the game.
He recently hit a similar shot at the US Open, to the delight of the spectators. "I've attempted it something like four times in the last few years, and every time I made it – and won the point off of it."
The third-seed will face Italy's Andreas Seppi in the third round.
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