Federer Shocked in Shanghai

October 13, 2015 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Lee Seidner

Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas recorded the first top 10 win of his career on Tuesday, ousting second-seeded Swiss Roger Federer 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3 in a stunning result in the Shanghai Rolex Masters second-round.

Ramos-Vinolas was able to save a few break points in the opening set, and would go on to take it in a tiebreaker.

But Federer responded in the second set, securing two late breaks in the fifth and seventh games to roll 6-2 and force a deciding third set.

The two would remain on serve through the first few games of the final set, but it was Ramos-Vinolas, who came into this match 0-15 in his career against top 10 players, who would secure the lone break of the frame in the eighth game.

And that was all he needed, going on to serve out the match and upsetting the 17-time Grand Slam champion in a little over two hours.

“I’m always cautious. I don’t underestimate or lack respect for anybody out there,” said Federer afterwards. “These guys are all touring professionals; they know what they’re doing. I just think the first round here in Shanghai has always been historically quite difficult, getting used to the conditions and the surface and the balls. Last year I got lucky. This year I didn’t.”

Ramos-Vinolas moves on to play 16th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Frenchman took out Victor Estrella Burgos of Dominican Republic 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday.

Ninth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic snuck out a 7-6(5), 7-6(2) victory over Thomaz Bellucci in the first-round on Tuesday.

Raonic was broken in his opening service game and fell down a mini-break in the tie-breaker, but Raonic came back to take the opening set, and then took the second set in a tiebreaker to push through.

“I feel like I'm in a good place physically and mentally," said Raonic. "Now I hope I can play some good tennis. It's just been in a lot of ways a frustrating season. For most of it, through many important tournaments, not to be able to play at 100 percent, that sort of has its own downfalls, I guess. I'm trying to make the most of it now for the rest of the year."

He moves on to play Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut.

American Jack Sock cruised past Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday, breaking the Pole three times in the first-round matchup. Sock moves on to play fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych.

Fourteenth-seeded Croat reached the Round of 16 with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Borna Coric, while the 10th-seeded Gilles Simon, 11th-seeded Richard Gasquet, 12th-seeded Kevin Anderson and David Goffin highlighted the other Tuesday winners in Shanghai.


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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