Roger Federer Flies Through Shanghai Tennis Opener, Andy Murray Goes Down To Fognini

By Ricky Dimon

Roger Federer was not about to let lightning strike twice in Shanghai.

Federer, who lost to Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters four years ago, defeated the Spaniard 6-2, 7-6(5) in his opening match this time around. The 38-year-old Swiss served at an awesome 80 percent, fired eight aces without double-faulting, and faced zero break points while getting the job done in one hour and 24 minutes.

“I was thinking about [the 2015 loss to Ramos-Vinolas],” Federer admitted. “Watched highlights; remember how it felt. I had my chances. I won many more points that time than I lost, so I should have actually won that match. But he did very well there and things turn very quickly here in Shanghai. Of course that got my attention. I know I also played him another time where I beat him very easily in Wimbledon, but (it) doesn’t matter what happened there. Shanghai, in that match, to play him again in the same circumstances, basically I knew [he] could be dangerous and that’s why I’m very pleased how I was able to control the match out there today.

“[I] had a really good first set. I focused and had good energy, because when you travel around the globe you’re missing a bit of energy. Those first few games or matches can be sometimes a bit tricky. So I thought that went very well for me.”

On the other side of the draw, Fabio Fognini joined Federer in the last 16 by surviving a contentious thriller against Andy Murray 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-6(2). A match typical of Murray’s comeback–albeit with even more drama and some bad blood–lasted three hours and nine minutes.

Murray twice failed to serve out the match late in the third set, a stretch of tennis plagued by Fognini shouting just before Murray prepared to hit a volley at the end of a long rally. That led to a heated exchange at the ensuing changeover, during which the Scot angrily told his opponent, “Shut up!”

Other winners on Tuesday were Daniil Medvedev, Matteo Berrettini, David Goffin, John Isner, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Draw
Novak Djokovic…..bye
Denis Shapovalov…..d. Tiafoe

Lucas Pouille…..d. Li
John Isner…..d. de Minaur

Hubert Hurkacz…..d. Zhang…..d. Monfils

Felix Auger-Aliassime…..d. Bublik
Stefanos Tsitsias……bye

Daniil Medvedev…..bye…..d. Norrie
Vasek Pospisil…..d. Schwartzman…..d. Sousa

Fabio Fognini…..d. Querrey…..d. Murray

Taylor Fritz…..d. Verdasco
Karen Khachanov…..bye

Roberto Bautista Agut…..bye
Reilly Opelka…..d. Lajovic

Christian Garin…..d. Cuevas
Matteo Berrettini…..d. Struff

Nikoloz Basilashvili…..d. Albot…..d. Paire

Pablo Carreno Busta…..d. Zhang
Dominic Thiem…..bye

Alexander Zverev…..bye
Jeremy Chardy…..d. Edmund

John Millman…..d. Pella
Andrey Rublev…..d. Coric

David Goffin…..d. Gasquet
Mikhail Kukushkin…..d. Kecmanovic

Roger Federer…..bye…..d. Ramos-Vinolas

Seeds
1. Novak Djokovic: vs. Shapovalov in R2
2. Roger Federer: vs. Goffin/Kukushkin winner in R3
3. Daniil Medvedev: vs. Pospisil in R34. Dominic Thiem: vs. Carreno Busta in R25. Alexander Zverev: vs. Chardy in R2
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas: vs. Auger-Aliassime in R2
7. Karen Khachanov: vs. Fritz in R2
8. Roberto Bautista Agut: vs. Opelka in R29. Gael Monfils: l. to Hurkacz in R210. Fabio Fognini: vs. Khachanov/Fritz winner in R311. Matteo Berrettini: vs. Garin in R2
12. Borna Coric: l. to Rublev in R1
13. David Goffin: vs. Kukushkin in R2
14. Diego Schwartzman: l. to Pospisil in R115. Nikoloz Basilashvili: vs. Thiem/Carreno Busta winner in R3
16. John Isner: vs. Pouille in R2

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.