The Spanish Rafael Nadal successfully debuted at the Shanghai Masters 1000 to win for the second time in two weeks, American James Blake, Fernando Verdasco but packed his bags for Las Vegas in early fall before the Croatian Ivan Ljubicic
Aware that last week and defeated him in the second round of the Master 500 in Beijing, Nadal sealed his passage to the knockout stage with a solid performance against Blake and worked in two hours and 12 minutes, 6-2, 6 -7 (4) and 6-4.
Thus, there will be a Spanish duel in the eighth and fourth runner-insured and therefore Nadal will now face Tommy Robredo, who today beat German Florian Mayer 4-6, 7-6 (10), 6-4, after to save three match points.
Nadal arrived in Shanghai after losing in the semifinals of Beijing to the Croatian Marin Cilic, but in his first game in the economic capital of China has shown a great set-up. His serve seems willing and wrist Manacor lefty now printed at high speed to put the ball in play in a match where only dropped his serve twice and had six direct.
But not only his serve. The speed of Nadal's left leg KO Blake, who had to play each point to the first blow, with too many risks, before one of the best defenders in the history of the sport.
Blake had already advanced to point out that Nadal would put him side by side and play against the Spanish was the hardest job in the sport. The American played the tiebreaker in a dainty and built a 4-2 in the third set, but Rafa was forced to their security from the bottom.
The great performance from Nadal was not matched by Fernando Verdasco, who driven by the experience of the Croatian veteran Ivan Ljubicic, 37 of the world, fell 6-4, 7-6 (6) in a game that the player scored strange.
Verdasco was a trailer for nearly all in mourning, and though he defended himself as he could and would not budge until the fourth match point, his errors condemned to defeat.
Now the Madrid undertaken as soon as possible trip to Las Vegas to be in place and recover a little tendonitis in his right knee. Verdasco want to rush to the maximum in the two tournaments he has left to play, Valencia and Paris Bercy to achieve their qualification for the Masters Cup in London.
But with this defeat, "Fer" has lost an opportunity to continue in the fight for one of three places that are still without an owner for the English capital. Especially since several of its rivals, Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Swede Robin Soderling, Frenchman Gilles Simon and Fernando Gonzalez, followed later in Shanghai.
Before, Feliciano Lopez was in the third round with a win over David Ferrer. "Feli" connect eleven aces to defeat of Javea sixteenth favorite, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in one hour and 53 minutes against the desperation of Alicante. "It's a spider web and I can not get out of it," he told his coach Javier Piles during grief.
Will now face Feliciano against Austrian Jurgen Melzer, 43 of the world, who won after the withdrawal of Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, winner of last U.S. Open.
"Delp" opted out when yielded 7-5 and 2-1, after one hour and 15 minutes. The Argentine had already requested assistance from the therapist when he was down in the first set 3-0, and although the pupil of Franco Davin decided to continue but after the third game of the second race, chose to leave the meeting rather than risk, since no London wants to get injured, as happened last year at the Masters in Shanghai.
Del Potro not won a match since he won his first Grand Slam against Roger Federer in New York. Then, in Tokyo, fell to the first with the French Edouard Roger Vasselin, 189 of the world.
Del Potro's withdrawal adds to German Tommy Haas for right shoulder injury, also today, to countryman Rainer Schuettler (6-4), and yesterday Tuesday of American Andy Roddick against Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka ( 3-4) with a sore on the inside of the knee.
The withdrawals and downs of the Swiss Roger Federer and Andy Murray in Shanghai, described as "big chance" by Roddick himself, increase the suspicion of the uneasiness among the players by the extent of the timing and the impossibility of reaching an agreement with the ATP to provide sufficient time to rest and recover.
Meanwhile, Swede Robin Soderling, ninth-seeded finalist at Roland Garros, Spanish beat Nicolas Almagro 6-4 7-5 in one hour and 22 minutes.