In-form Andy Murray is just one win away from a third straight title after crushing Japan’s Kei Nishikori to seal a place in the Shanghai Masters final where he will face comeback king David Ferrer.
The British second seed and defending champion was overwhelming favorite going into the clash yesterday against 47th-ranked Nishikori and showed his superior class, coasting to a 6-3, 6-0 win under lights at the Qi Zhong Stadium.
Earlier, Ferrer battled back from a set down for the third consecutive match to beat Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3 in an all-Spanish semi-final.
Photo: AFP
World No. 4 Murray, who will replace Roger Federer as No. 3 if he wins today’s final, broke twice in the first set, winning 100 percent of points on his first serve.
In the second set, the 24-year-old Briton, coming into the tie on a 13-match winning streak, including titles in Bangkok and Tokyo, broke in the second game and demolished his opponent in the second set.
Despite his defeat, 21-year-old Nishikori tomorrow will become the highest-ranked Japanese male player ever after his run in Shanghai. He is projected to move up to about No. 32.
In the first semi-final, Ferrer looked to dictate from early on, with the match developing into a fascinating duel between the third seed’s powerful forehand and left-handed Lopez’s sliced backhand.
Neither player could force a break in a gripping opening set. Ferrer took control of the tie-break at 4-1, but he could only manage one more point as Lopez, 30, drew first blood, Ferrer smashing a ball into the crowd in anger.
The determined Ferrer stayed on the offensive, breaking in the third game of the second set and again in the ninth game to level the match.
A tight deciding set stayed on serve until a wild Lopez forehand gave Ferrer a crucial single break in the eighth game, allowing him to serve out for the win.
Ferrer, who came into the match with a 1-6 losing record in hard court head-to-heads against 28th-ranked Lopez, said he had refocused after losing the opening set.
“When I lost the first set, I tried to forget the tiebreak and I tried to focus again. I played better in the second and the third. I served better,” said the 29-year-old, who is ranked No. 5 in the world.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
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