Shanghai Masters: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal one match away from final showdown

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will continue their march toward a final collision when they both head into the semi-finals of Shanghai Rolex Masters on Saturday. The World number one and the Swiss maestro now need to one more win each to set up a showdown on the final. 

Nadal kept alive his hopes of clinching his first title in Shanghai by overcoming Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 in the quarter-finals that lasted lasted more than three hours. With the win, the Spaniard, who is currently riding a 15-match winning streak, had improved to an ATP World Tour-best 64-9 match record in 2017.

Nadal has now set up a clash against fourth-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia for a place in the summit showdown.

Meanwhile, 19-time Grand Slam champion Federer cemented his place in the last-four of the tournament by dismantling Richard Gasquet of France 7-5, 6-4 in a one-sided match that also lasted more than an hour. The second-seeded will now play No. 16 seeded Argentinean Juan Martin del Potro, who eliminated the Swiss in the quarter-finals of the US Open.

However, Del Potro could miss the match due to a wrist injury. His bruised left wrist was placed in a splint after a nasty fall while winning his quarter-final at the Shanghai Masters.

“I hope for him (del Potro) that it’s nothing serious,” Federer said. “He’s had problems in the past and this is why he’s worried, rightfully so. At the end of the day nothing changes for me, I’ll be ready to come out here to play, and it’s for revenge for the US Open.”

(With ANI Inputs)