Roger Federer was not about to let lightning strike twice at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
Federer, who lost to Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round of this event four years ago, defeated the Spaniard 6-2, 7-6(5) in his opening match this time around. The 38-year-old Swiss served at an awesome 80 percent, fired eight aces without double-faulting, and faced zero break points while getting the job done in one hour and 24 minutes on Tuesday.
“I was thinking about [the 2015 loss to Ramos-Vinolas],” Federer explained. “Watched highlights; remember how it felt. I had my chances. I won many more points that time than I lost, so I should have actually won that match. But he did very well there and things turn very quickly here in Shanghai. Of course that got my attention. I know I also played him another time where I beat him very easily in Wimbledon, but (it) doesn’t matter what happened there. Shanghai, in that match, to play him again in the same circumstances, basically I knew [he] could be dangerous and that’s why I’m very pleased how I was able to control the match out there today.
“[I] had a really good first set. I focused and had good energy, because when you travel around the globe you’re missing a bit of energy. Those first few games or matches can be sometimes a bit tricky. So I thought that went very well for me.”
Fabio Fognini joined Federer in the third round by surviving a contentious thriller against Andy Murray 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-6(2). A match typical of Murray’s comeback–albeit with even more drama and some bad blood–lasted three hours and nine minutes.
Murray twice failed to serve out the match late in the third set, a stretch of tennis plagued by Fognini shouting just before Murray prepared to hit a volley at the end of a long rally. That led to a heated exchange at the ensuing changeover, during which the Scot angrily told the Italian, “Shut up!”
another Murray classic