Federer stunned by Ramos-Vinolas in first Shanghai match

Defending champion Roger Federer is out after one match at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas upset the second-seeded Swiss 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3 during second-round action on Tuesday evening. The qualifier won seven fewer points in the match but came up big when it mattered most to prevail after two hours and five minutes.

“I’m really happy to beat Roger Federer,” said Ramos-Vinolas. “I didn’t expect it during the match. After the second set I thought I would lose. But I played really good. I was very solid with my serve in the third set. I am very happy because it’s the most important victory for me.”

It was a victory that Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer almost pulled off last season in the Shanghai second round. Federer saved a whopping six match points in his opening match and eventually got past Mayer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(7).

“I definitely thought of last year’s match,” the 17-time major champion commented. “But at the same time it was a completely different match. Playing a lefty maybe also had something to do with it. Who knows? Albert was doing a good job of trying to stay on the offensive as well as I was trying to do the same. There were some good rallies there.

“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. The balls play very different than in other places. Last year I got lucky. This year I didn’t. So it’s a pity.”

Highlights:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4jKGsa-noc]

Ramos-Vinolas inteview:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjV8LZt98Jk]

[tweet https://twitter.com/Scarlett_Li/status/653958669097402368]

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marin Cilic had no such trouble in their second-round matches on Tuesday. Tsonga clobbered Victor Estrella Burgos 6-3, 6-2 and will face Ramos-Vinolas on Thursday. Cilic made easy work of fellow Croat Borna Coric 6-1, 6-2.

Federer was the only seed to lose on Tuesday. Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon, Milos Raonic, and Kevin Anderson all safely navigated their first-round contests.

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