Shanghai Rolex Masters; Preview of the last two matches on Thursday
All the top four contenders on the tour will be in action at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Thursday.
World number one Rafael Nadal will take on Jurgen Melzer in the third match of the day. The Spaniard has never lost a single set versus Melzer in their previous clashes and stands at 7-0 in sets. They previously met in the semi
final round of the French Open, where Rafa required three match points to end the Austrian Roland Garros' campaign in three sets.The final match score was 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(6).
The twenty four year old Manacor native has a 4-1 mark here and was defeated in the title battle back in 2009 at the hands of Nikolay Davydenko. The top ranked Rafa started his tournament’s campaign with a two setter win over Stanislas
Wawrinka of Switzerland. The final match score was 6-4, 6-4. He is coming off his ATP World Tour best seventh crown of the season at the Japan Open last week where he won the title battle after getting the better of Gael Monfils. He stands at 7-1 in the finals.
This is his third competition since the United States Open in New York.
Melzer, on the other hand has reached the third round on the second occasion in a row after recording a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over his Chinese opponent Tsung Hua Yang and straight set win over Daniel Gimeno Traver of Spain. The top
Austrian is enjoying his career high ranking of world number twelve in the world and stands at 45-23 with a match record on the season.
In the final battle of the day, the world number three Roger Federer will meet Andreas Seppi from Italy on the stadium court. The twenty nine year old Federer has not lost a single set to his round three foe, going 13-0 in sets
in the past six clashes. The Swiss maestro made his debut here in Shanghai on Wednesday with a two setter victory over his American foe, John Isner in two sets.The final match score was 6-3, 6-4. Isner is leading the ATP tour with the highest number of aces,
as the American has so far fired a total of nine hundred and thirty one aces in 2010. However, he only hit seven against his opening match against Roger on Wednesday. Federer is attempting to make his way into his eleventh quarter final or better, in fourteen
championships in 2010. The Fed Express has reached the quarters or better the last eight events since a first round defeat in Rome earlier in May.
This is his first competition since making his way into the semi final round in the United States Open where he was sent packing by Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Prior to that Roger captured the Cincinnati title after getting the better
of Mardy Fish. Federer currently enjoys a match record of 45-11 on the season. He won his first trophy at the Australian Open back in January this year.
The twenty six year old Andreas on the other hand breezed into the third round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters after beating the fourteen seed Marin Cilic in the opening round in two sets. The final match score was 6-2, 6-2. In his
next round clash, the Italian brushed aside Yen Hsun Lu in straight sets to set up a battle with the world number three Federer. The final match score was 7-6, (4) 6-3.
The number two Italian currently enjoys a match record of 23-24 this year. His best result came in a three day clay championship stretch during the month of July as he made his way into the quarters in Bastad where he was defeated
by Robin Soderling and back to back semi finals in Hamburg and Umag where Andreas was thrashed out by Melzer and Ferrero respectively. He then also captured the Kitzbuehel Challenger title after dispatching off Crivoi back in August. Seppi has a lifetime mark
of 5-36 versus the top ten opponents.
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