France’s Gilles Simon shocked top seed Roger Federer 4-6 6-4 6-3 on Monday at the Tennis Masters Cup
Federer’s bid to claim his fifth season-ending title suffers an early setback as he goes down to Gilles Simon 4-6 6-4 6-3
SHANGHAI: France’s Gilles Simon shocked top seed Roger Federer 4-6 6-4 6-3 on Monday at the Tennis Masters Cup, leaving the former world number one’s bid for a third straight title in disarray.
Federer, who withdrew from last week’s Paris Masters with a back injury, was sublime in the opening set but lost his way in the next two as Simon took control. “I didn’t serve full blast, especially from the start. I don’t know if that cost me the match,” Federer said. “I was still in a position to win. It was just a pity I couldn’t get to the finish line,” he added.
It was Federer’s 14th defeat — and second to Simon — in a season in which he also lost his number one ranking after four-and-a-half years at the top and saw his five-year Wimbledon streak ended by Rafael Nadal. “I’m very happy and very exhausted,” said Simon. “It was a very long match but I played my best tennis in the last two sets.”
Federer was also beaten in his first round-robin match here last year, by Fernando Gonzalez, but came back to clinch his second consecutive title and fourth overall. The 27-year-old Swiss targeted Simon’s two-handed backhand as he went a break up in the first, pummelling two deep forehands and finishing with a cross-court winner, and then converted the first set point with his second ace.
Simon went a break down early in the second before he found his feet, breaking back and then forcing three more break points in the seventh game. He levelled the match on another superb break point, out-volleying the sprawling Federer at the net. Simon, 23, looked to have let his chance slip when he wasted three break points in the third set, before Federer did exactly the same. The Frenchman pounced in the seventh game, breaking with a forehand winner, and then converted his first match point with an ace.
In their only previous encounter, Federer lost to Simon in Toronto this year in his first match after the epic Wimbledon final defeat to Nadal.
Meanwhile, in the other Red group match, Andy Murray beat Andy Roddick 6-4 1-6 6-1. Murray, who is also playing the season finale for the first time, broke early to take the first set but imploded in the second as Roddick roared back into contention.
However Murray, who is enjoying the best spell of his career, broke twice in the decider to halt the American’s comeback, finishing it with a leaping backhand overhead.
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