Federer, Roddick Win Openers at Masters Cup
Posted on November 13, 2006World No. 1 Roger Federer and former No. 1 Andy Roddick barely survived their opening-round matches Sunday at the ATP Masters Cup in Shanghai, with the Swiss turning around the rematch of last year's final against David Nalbandian in Sunday round robin play.
Nalbandian rode out an early break in the first set, but Federer stormed through the second and third set for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 win. The Swiss said the key was forcing the Argentine into errors as the match went on.
"I had to make him hit some errors -- he wasn't doing that at the beginning," Federer said. "A couple of years ago I wouldn't have known what to do."
Nalbandian said his weak first serve was his undoing.
"He has all the shots," Nalbandian said of Federer. "I mean, he can make any shot from anywhere."
Federer jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third set before Nalbandian finally held serve.
Andy Roddick at times looked like he didn't know where he was, literally, but the American prevailed 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-1 over Ivan Ljubicic, who has been fighting a virus entering Shanghai.
Roddick inadvertently sat down in one of Ljubicic's courtside chairs during a changeover, then quickly realizing his error and took his own side.
"Ivan should have told me to get out of his chair," smiled Roddick. "But I'd been sitting in that chair every day during practice. It was just a habit to migrate towards it. I didn't notice until Ivan sat down next to me and then I figured I should probably go to my own chair. I don't think I've ever done that before."
Roddick had lost his last two meetings with Ljubicic, and apparent was the mental boost given to him by part-time coach Jimmy Connors who made the trip to Shanghai.
"It definitely sticks with you when a guy who's won Grand Slam after Grand Slam honestly looks you in the eye and says that he thinks you could really do some special things in this game," said Roddick of Connors. "That hits home a little bit more than average. It's definitely a big thing."
Roddick had 19 aces to Ljubicic's 16, and impressively never faced a break point on serve during the entire match.
In doubles Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram upset world No. 1s Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-1.
"We (had) been here last year," said Erlich, who with Ram were alternates last year in Shanghai. "We saw how nice it is. How excited it is to play. We?re really hungry to play. I think everybody saw it today."
The Bryans have won the Masters Cup in two of the last three years.
"We played a pretty solid second set and we thought we had it in control, but they came out hot in the third and got that one break and it kind of fell apart for us," said Bob Bryan. "Hopefully, we'll make the semifinals but if we lose one more match, we don't deserve to make it."
In the other match on opening day, Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett won 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3 over Martin Damm and Leander Paes.
On the schedule for Monday in Shanghai are Rafael Nadal vs. James Blake, Nikolay Davydenko vs. Tommy Robredo, and in doubles Bjorkman/Max "The Beast" Mirnyi vs. Poles Fyrstenberg/Matkowski, and Knowles/Nestor vs. Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro/Zimonjic.
Nalbandian rode out an early break in the first set, but Federer stormed through the second and third set for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 win. The Swiss said the key was forcing the Argentine into errors as the match went on.
"I had to make him hit some errors -- he wasn't doing that at the beginning," Federer said. "A couple of years ago I wouldn't have known what to do."
Nalbandian said his weak first serve was his undoing.
"He has all the shots," Nalbandian said of Federer. "I mean, he can make any shot from anywhere."
Federer jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third set before Nalbandian finally held serve.
Andy Roddick at times looked like he didn't know where he was, literally, but the American prevailed 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-1 over Ivan Ljubicic, who has been fighting a virus entering Shanghai.
Roddick inadvertently sat down in one of Ljubicic's courtside chairs during a changeover, then quickly realizing his error and took his own side.
"Ivan should have told me to get out of his chair," smiled Roddick. "But I'd been sitting in that chair every day during practice. It was just a habit to migrate towards it. I didn't notice until Ivan sat down next to me and then I figured I should probably go to my own chair. I don't think I've ever done that before."
Roddick had lost his last two meetings with Ljubicic, and apparent was the mental boost given to him by part-time coach Jimmy Connors who made the trip to Shanghai.
"It definitely sticks with you when a guy who's won Grand Slam after Grand Slam honestly looks you in the eye and says that he thinks you could really do some special things in this game," said Roddick of Connors. "That hits home a little bit more than average. It's definitely a big thing."
Roddick had 19 aces to Ljubicic's 16, and impressively never faced a break point on serve during the entire match.
In doubles Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram upset world No. 1s Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-1.
"We (had) been here last year," said Erlich, who with Ram were alternates last year in Shanghai. "We saw how nice it is. How excited it is to play. We?re really hungry to play. I think everybody saw it today."
The Bryans have won the Masters Cup in two of the last three years.
"We played a pretty solid second set and we thought we had it in control, but they came out hot in the third and got that one break and it kind of fell apart for us," said Bob Bryan. "Hopefully, we'll make the semifinals but if we lose one more match, we don't deserve to make it."
In the other match on opening day, Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett won 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3 over Martin Damm and Leander Paes.
On the schedule for Monday in Shanghai are Rafael Nadal vs. James Blake, Nikolay Davydenko vs. Tommy Robredo, and in doubles Bjorkman/Max "The Beast" Mirnyi vs. Poles Fyrstenberg/Matkowski, and Knowles/Nestor vs. Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro/Zimonjic.