Roger Federer will go up against flamboyant Frenchman Gael Monfils on Thursday in Shanghai. Another Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, is also in action.
Gael Monfils vs. (5) Roger Federer
Monfils and Federer will be squaring off for the eighth time in their careers when they collide in round three of the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Thursday. Federer is leading the head-to-head series 6-1, including 2-1 on hard courts. They have not faced each other on this surface since the Paris Masters indoor event of three years ago, when Monfils pulled out a 7-6(7), 6-7(1), 7-6(4) victory. Their most recent encounter came at the 2011 French Open, where Federer won 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3) in the quarterfinals.
Playing his first match in the aftermath of a fourth-round U.S. Open loss to Tommy Robredo, Federer opened on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Andreas Seppi. The seventh-ranked Swiss is a modest 36-12 for the season and just 9-5 in his last 14 matches dating back to his Wimbledon second-round ouster at the hands of Sergiy Stakhovsky. Monfils has advanced this week with straight-set scalps of Tatsuma Ito and Vasek Pospisil. The world No. 42 is 32-19 for his 2013 campaign. Monfils’ defensive skills will test Federer’s questionable form and relative rust, but the 32-year-old should be able to build on what was a solid performance against Seppi.
Pick: Federer in 3
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(12) Kei Nishikori vs. (7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Nishikori and Tsonga will be doing battle for the third time in their careers and for the second time at this Shanghai tournament. They met during second-round action in 2011, when Nishikori advanced via a 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-4 decision. He improved to 2-0 lifetime against Tsonga with another deciding-set victory at the 2012 Australian Open (2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3).
Both players are in strong but unspectacular form at the end of seasons that have been productive but not amazing. Nishikori is 33-16 following a straight-set win over Grigor Dimitrov and a three-setter over Jurgen Melzer. Tsonga is 35-13 after kicking off his week by easing past Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-2. The ninth-ranked Frenchman, who earned a first-round by as the No. 7 seed, may have just enough firepower on a hard court that is playing fast to avenge his previous setbacks against Nishikori.
Pick: Tsonga in 3
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It’s obvious that Fed would have had zero chance against Djoker. He saved himself the embarrassment of having to get thumped. Monfils let down in the second set and Fed took advantage. But he just cannot keep up the higher level of play anymore.
Fed is really going downhill. I don’t know that there is any coming back from at this point. He could still have some good wins, but it’s clear that he is not at a level where he can challenge the other top players. Getting knocked out so early in Shanghai has to be just one more big disappointment and maybe a reality check.