SHANGHAI: Fifth seed Roger Federer was dumped out of the Shanghai Open, losing to Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in the third round on Thursday, while top seed Novak Djokovic progressed.
After dropping the first set, the 17-time grand slam title winner Federer was on the brink of going out in straight sets at 3-5 down in the second, and later 3-5 down in the tie-break before winning four straight points.
Monfils then broke the Swiss former world number one in the fourth game of the decider.
It was Monfils’s second victory over Federer in eight meetings, and leaves the Swiss battling to reach the end-of-season ATP World Tour Finals for the 12th consecutive year.
“I knew that I choked on this forehand at 5-4 (in the tie-break),” Monfils told the ATP Tour website.
“Then I changed my ideas because I was maybe nervous, too. Even (though) I was tired, I tried to play more aggressively sometimes, going more for my shots and it worked.
“It’s a good win for me. I feel a bit sorry for him because I know he’s running for London. But it’s tennis. He’s going to have more opportunity (in) those weeks coming up.”
Monfils will play top seed and defending champion Djokovic in the quarterfinals after the Serb defeated Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-3, 6-3.
World number one Rafael Nadal of Spain overcame Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-1, 7-6 (5), while sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, German Florian Mayer and Nicolas Almagro of Spain also advanced.
Del Potro went through after German Tommy Haas withdrew due to injury, while Tsonga beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori 7-6 (5), 6-0.
The powerful Tsonga had a battle on his hands early on against the Japanese 12th seed but came out on top in a first-set tie-break and romped through the second set without losing a single game.
Nishikori broke in the third game but Tsonga – chasing a berth at November’s end-of-season showpiece in London – returned the favour and went on to take the tie-break.
The second set was one-way traffic, with Tsonga winning 24 out of 30 points as Nishikori faded badly.
Mayer beat 2011 runner-up David Ferrer 6-4, 6-3 and Almagro beat Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych in three sets.
Federer, playing his first tournament since the US Open, started in the worst possible way, limply losing his first service game to immediately hand the initiative to Monfils, who went on to take the opener.
Despite vocal support from a partisan crowd, Federer was broken midway through the second set but he broke back, sealing the game with an overhead smash.
Monfils, clad in bright orange, drew first blood in the tie-break but crucially put a relatively straightforward forehand long when he had a chance to engineer match points, allowing Federer back into the set and the Swiss made no mistake.
With both players sticking to a plan of all-out attack, Monfils grabbed the initiative, breaking to take a 3-1 lead and managed to save the break points that Federer carved out before going on to seal the match.
Federer also lost in the doubles second round with Chinese partner Ze Zhang 1-6, 6-1, 8-10 to the pair of Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo. (Reuters)