Federer Back in Business
© Getty Images ATP World No. 1 Roger Federer remains in strong contention for a Tennis Masters Cup semifinal slot after defeating Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-3 in Shanghai Wednesday. Federer improved to 11-0 lifetime against the Russian, against whom he has won 13 straight sets.
The Swiss rebounded strongly from his shock opening loss to Fernando Gonzalez, against whom he also held a 10-0 career record before this week. Federer hit 23 winners to Davydenko's 11.
Federer, who boasts a 23-3 lifetime record at the circuit finale, will face Andy Roddick in his final group match. Federer leads Roddick 14-1 in career meetings, and has won their past 10 clashes. However, Roddick did hold match point against Federer during a pulsating round-robin clash in Shanghai last year, when Federer escaped with a 4-6, 7-6(10), 6-4 victory.
"I realized he was not going to serve bombs all the way through, which allowed me to really get into the rallies from the baseline and try to maneuver him around a little bit," Federer said of his tactics against Davydenko. "I thought I missed a few too many backhands maybe at the beginning, but then started to slice nicely and sometimes take a chance also to let him make some mistakes. That was the right play today."
Federer said that he wasn't surprised that all top four players had suffered at least one loss in early matches in Shanghai. "We saw it I think in Montréal already, Djokovic beating the top three. Nalbandian doing the same thing in Madrid again. Then beating me and Rafa again in Paris. You know, so we've seen upsets this season. So that it happens at the Masters Cup as well to me honestly is not that big of a surprise.".
Federer, who one day earlier was presented with the ATP 2007 Race trophy for the fourth consecutive year, said that he took great pride in again finishing the year-end No. 1. "It's a big, big honor, very special for me to stay at the top for every single week of the year actually... Took me really enormous wins, such as three Slams, to actually maintain my No. 1 position. So to have done it for the fourth consecutive time, obviously that's a great achievement for me. Now I'm looking forward, you know, to 2008."
Davydenko, who slipped to 0-2 in group play, said: "It's not like impossible to beat Federer. Just, sometimes mentally is tough or physically. Today was really tough for me physically. I was play some good points and he play very fast and I was sometimes play good and then next point concentration was less and playing not so good."
Tuesday: Ferrer Outguns Nadal to Go 2-0
Tuesday: Gasquet Ends Djokovic's Tennis Masters Cup Hopes
Monday: Roddick Rolls Russian; Impressive Start
Monday: Gonzalez Snaps Losing Streak to Federer
Sunday: Nadal Battles Past Gasquet in Shanghai Opener
Sunday: Ferrer Makes in a Spanish Clean Sweep on Day 1
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