Federer downs Djokovic in Shanghai, headed into final against Simon

It almost always takes a virtuoso performance to beat Novak Djokovic anywhere in Asia, and that is exactly what Roger Federer delivered on Saturday at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Federer held all10 of his service games while facing only one break point to beat Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 35 minutes during semifinal action.

Djokovic, who was coming off a triumph in Beijing and had won this event in both 2012 and 2013, dropped serve midway through the opening frame of play and could not get back on level terms. Federer fired six aces without double-faulting in the first set while putting in 76 percent of his first serves.

Federer’s aggressive tactics continued to pay dividends in the second. The 33-year-old Swiss broke his opponent right away and eventually survived a marathon service game to consolidate his advantage. He won a whopping 20 points at net while moving into the forecourt 35 times.

“It was a great match,” Federer said. “I think I played very well. There was nothing in the game today that wasn’t working. I think it was a high-level match. I’m unbelievably happy with the way it went.”

“It was definitely one of the best matches he has played against me, that’s for sure,” Djokovic assured. “He’s playing as good as ever.”

That is bad news for Simon, who booked a spot his second-ever Masters 1000 final by rolling over Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 7-6(1). The Frenchman lost a mere seven points in 10 service games as he cruised in one hour and 20 minutes. Lopez did well just to take the second set to a tiebreaker. The Spaniard lost 23 service points in that set, whereas Simon surrendered just four. Lopez played 56 service points in the second; by comparison, Simon played only 32–and 51 in the entire match.

“I was feeling really good from the baseline,” the world No. 29 reflected. “I felt I almost didn’t lose one point from the baseline the whole match. I was really playing good on my service games. I was in control. But it was only this time. The two last times I played him, I lost. I was just feeling better tonight.”

Simon has defeated Federer twice in six tries, both times in 2008 (at the Rogers Cup and World Tour Finals). Two of Federer’s victories have come in five sets–at the 2011 Australian Open and the 2013 French Open.

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