Shanghai: Top and second seeds Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer registered comprehensive victories over their respective opponents, but it was Juan Martin del Potro’s comeback win over a foul-mouth racquet-smashing Alexander Zverev that attracted the maximum attention at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament here Thursday.
The seasoned Argentine recovered to win 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in one hour, 55 minutes against the 20-year-old Zverev and will next play either Viktor Troicki or John Isner.
Zverev was going after his sixth title of an outstanding season and was comfortable in the first set against Del Potro, the 16th seed.
The German prodigy and the 29-year-old went toe to toe in the second set and the tie break was just as tight until Del Potro grabbed the crucial mini-break.
And then came the turning point – and the flash of anger from third seed Zverev – as he yielded the crucial service break to go 2-3 down in the third set.
“Right now I’m very pissed off, as you can probably tell,” said Zverev afterwards, having smashed the racquet on the court, then trodden on it, and brutalised it further as he stomped back to his chair.
“I don’t understand how I can lose a match where I get broken one time in three sets and not managed to get any chances on his serve,” added Zverev.
Nadal and Federer on the other hand remained on course for a mouth-watering final showdown. The Spaniard sent Fabio Fognini of Italy packing 6-3, 6-1, while Federer was equally regal in his disposal of Alexander Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-4, 6-2. Neither Nadal nor Federer faced a single breakpoint on their serves.
Also into the quarters are sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov and Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Bulgarian Dimitrov defeated American Sam Querrey 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) and Spain’s Ramos-Vinolas saw off Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.
Easy triumph
Tianjin (China): Maria Sharapova overpowered Poland’s Magda Linette to enter the quarterfinals of the Tianjin Open tennis tournament here Thursday to be on course for a first title since returning from a 15-month doping ban. The former World No.1 prevailed 7-5, 6-3. She will next meet Swiss qualifier Stefanie Vogele who beat Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3.
agencies
