By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, October 11, 2019
Alexander Zverev slammed 17 aces defeating Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3 scoring his first Top 10 win of the year to roar into the Shanghai semifinals.
Photo credit: Mike Frey/Rolex Shanghai Masters Facebook
Five match points slipped from Alexander Zverev's grip as Roger Federer unleashed an inspired second-set charge to force a decider.
Undaunted, Zverev kept his cool and watched a frustated Federer flash his anger.
Watch: Murray, Fognini Continued Clash in Locker Room
Playing with poise, Zverev pounded 17 aces defeating Federer 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3 for his first Top 10 win of the season to surge into the Shanghai semifinals.
Zverev will play Matteo Berrettini for a place in the final. The 11th-seeded Italian saved all three break points he faced in a 7-6(8), 6-4 win over fourth-seeded Dominic Thiem to advance to his first Masters semifinal.
It was a dramatic and sometime contentious clash as Federer feuded with chair umpire Nacho Forcadell in the third set after incurring a rare point penalty for his second ball abuse violation.
It was Zverev's fourth win in seven meetings vs. his Laver Cup teammate elevating the 22-year-old German into rare air. Zverev is the 64th player to face Federer at least seven times and joins world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and second-ranked Rafael Nadal as just the third of those 64 players with a winning record against the Grand Slam king.
"Roger Federer is probably the greatest player of all time," Zverev said. "So he will always find a way to make it tricky for you like he did today with me. And you always got to play your best tennis to have a chance."
Beating Federer from the baseline, Zverev forced the second-seeded Swiss to attack net in an effort to change it up.
While Federer delivered some spectacular net play fighting off triple match point in breaking to force the decider, ultimately Zverev's precise passing shots unsettled the Swiss.
The ATP Finals champion doubled his opponent's winner total—43 to 21—and beat Federer with his backhand pass on crucial points winning 21 of Federer's 40 trips to net.
Most importantly Zverev, who has battled double-fault issues, a confidence crisis and a lawsuit filed by his former manager Patricio Apey in a season of growing pains, remained positive in the final set while Federer bickered with the chair umpire on a couple of changeovers.
"Obviously, I had three [match points] in a row on my serve and still two more in the tie break," Zverev said. "He played great tennis. I knew if I keep playing the way I did in the first two sets I was gonna have a chance in the third as well."
The 38-year-old Federer was impressed by Zverev's commitment and composure.
"I told him at the net that he showed great character, that he was strong," Federer said. "I thought he didn’t show any frustrations or too much negativity.
“That was impressive because he has tendencies to get a bit down on himself, especially this season he hasn’t been playing so well, so that impressed me the most.”
It was a day when young stars eclipsed iconic champions in gripping semifinals.
Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked off No. 1 Djokovic 3-6, -5, 6-3 and will face US Open finalist Daniil Medvedev, who was a 6-3, 7-6(4) victor over Fognini.
Four-time champion Djokovic and two-time champ Federer had been a combined 13-0 in Shanghai quarterfinals before they were bounced today.
In this rematch of the ATP Finals semifinals, Zverev moved up closer to the baseline to combat Federer's skill taking the ball on the rise.
That aggressive court positioning paid dividends in the sixth game.
On the full stretch, the 6'6" German fired a forehand return winner down the line for break point. Reading the Swiss' serve, Zverev spit a return right back at Federer's feet provoking a scooped reply long snatching the first break and a 4-2 lead with a loud "come on!"
Zverev crunched an ace down the middle sealing a love hold to snatch a one-set lead after 27 minutes of play.
Engaged in the longest exchange of the match, Federer punctuated the point pulling the string on a soft drop shot breaking for a 2-0 second-set advantage.
It was a short-lived lead.
Zverev burned Federer with successive backhand passes—zapping a running backhand pass crosscourt then banging a backhand down the line— as he broke right back.
The lanky German's ability to put his racquet on so many serves minimized Federer's familiar ability to stamp fast service holds. Federer hit only three aces and won just 64 percent of his first serve points, which compounded stress levels.
Deadlocked at 4-all, Federer fired his first ace out wide, navigating a challenging hold for 5-4.
Two games later, the 20-time Grand Slam champion tried to press forward again. Zverev tested Federer with a backhand crosscourt, raced to his right then ripped a forehand pass down the line scoring his second break for a 6-5 lead.
Blasting an ace down the middle, Zverev earned triple match point only to see Federer elevate his game in an outrageous shotmaking spree. Federer dug a demanding volley off his shoelaces to deny the first match point and a tense Zverev bumped a low volley into net on the second.
On the third match point, Federer approached behind a low slice backhand then carved out a slick angled volley winner drawing even at deuce.
The fifth-seeded German was in prime position for a volley put pushed it long giving the world No. 3 a break point.
Lifting his level again, Federer pulled off an audacious backhand half volley into the corner breaking back for 6-all at the 73-minute mark with a massive roar as parents, Robert and Lynette leaped from their seats in the support box.
The tie break stayed on serve until Federer streamed forward forcing a netted response to earn the mini-break for 4-3. Seeing the Swiss serve-and-volley off a second serve, Zverev crunched a crosscourt return pass to gain the mini break back at 4-5. Zverev fought off a fiere Federer return wristing a forehand reply into the corner.
The 22-year-old Zverev rapped a biting serve down the middle setting up his fourth match point, but Federer denied it with a smooth serve-and-volley. Zverev streaked to his left and was hopping in mid-air when he lashed a brilliant backhand pass down the line for a fifth match point prompting Federer to belt a ball high in the air incurring a code violation for ball abuse.
A sidespinning shot from the Swiss put Zverev in an awkward spot. Fighting off a fifth match point, Federer drew the error for set point at 8-7. Launching a crackling serve, Federer capped a tremendous fight back withstanding five match points to force a final set.
Following a Federer bathroom break, Zverev flushed the disappointment of the dramatic second set climax sliding another backhand pass down the line that handcuffed his Laver Cup opponent. That 10th passing shot of the evening gave Zverev the break and a 2-0 third-set lead.
A frustrated Federer vented at the chair umpire for forgetting to remind him of new balls as Zverev calmly rolled through the confirmation hold for 3-0.
"Why are you not reminding me?" Federer asked the chair. "It’s the one thing in the whole match that I expect from you.
“Eighty percent of you guys never remind me. Every time. I told you like 10 minutes ago. I always end up looking like a fool."
Still stewing, Federer tapped a ball in the air drawing a point penalty for his second ball abuse. Though it wasn't nearly as egregious as his initial ball abuse code violation, it was one of several times Federer hit a ball in disgust. He paid the price with the point penalty. That prompted another brief discussion as Federer asserted the chair umpire could have reminded him he was on the brink of a point penalty during the prior changeover.
That exchange seemed to fire Federer up as he held for 1-3, but Zverev was not fazed.
Down 15-30 in the ensuing game, Zverev zapped successive aces—his 13th and 14th aces of the match—and a serve winner holding for 4-1.
An angry Federer continued to debate the chair ump on the next changeover questioning if the second ball abuse was really warranted. While the Swiss argued, Zverev was fully focused on business at hand.
An ace down the middle followed by a Federer error gave Zverev two more match points.
On his sixth match point, Zverev attacked net blocked a volley into corner and closed one of his most dynamic performances of the season with a primal scream.