How Roger Federer achieved two victories over Novak Djokovic in Shanghai?

Novak Djokovic is the most decorated player in the history of the Shanghai Masters, claimed four titles between 2012 and 2018. However, the Serbian could not solve Roger Federer’s riddle at the penultimate Masters 1000 event of the season, losing both matches to the Swiss Maestro in 2010 and 2014.

The first game was exciting and in the second game the more experienced player took the lead. He presented his aggressive approach and left a major rival behind him. Novak and Roger met in the Shanghai semi-finals in 2010, embracing their 17th meeting on the Tour.

The Serbian ousted the Swiss in a thriller at the US Open a month earlier, and Federer served revenge in China after a 7-5, 6-4 win in an hour and 42 minutes. Roger defeated Novak for the 11th time and advanced to his 29th Masters 1000 final.

The more aggressive player scored ten more points, managed to tame his shots beautifully and kept his composure at the crucial moments. Djokovic got his chances after creating five break points.

He converted one and got three breaks, ending his campaign in the semi-finals for the second year in a row.

Roger had more winners and Novak erased the deficit with almost 30 forced errors. However, the younger player made too many unforced errors and hit the exit door despite a solid effort. Interestingly, Djokovic matched Federer’s pace in the shortest rallies up to four strokes.

Roger took charge of the more advanced ones, building the exchanges neatly and coming out on top. The Serbian closed out the opening game of the match after a deuce, and the Swiss responded with a forehand winner in game two for 1-1.

The next two games provided drama, as Novak suffered three deuces in the third game and made a push on the return in the next. Federer faced four break points, defending two with direct points and two after the rival’s mistakes and held for 2-2.

The servers dropped six points in the next five games, and Djokovic netted a backhand winner for a 5-4 lead.

Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic twice at the Shanghai Masters.

Roger closed out the tenth game after a deuce for more drama and stepped into the return in the next game, creating his first break opportunities.

The Serbian scored a backhand on the second, dropping serve and sending his rival ahead. The Swiss served at 6-5 for the opener and delivered three winners, ending the first part of the match at 7-5 with an ace after 63 minutes.

Federer used the momentum and delivered a volley winner in the first game of the second set for a break point. He grabbed it after Djokovic’s forehand error, opening a set and a break lead and moving closer to the finish. Roger strengthened the lead with four winners in the second game and held at 15 two games later with an unreturned serve, giving a 3–1 lead.

Novak again struggled to serve in the fifth game, wasting a game point and breaking after the rival’s big mistake, falling behind 4–1 and closer to the exit door. Federer missed a backhand in the sixth game and dropped serve for the only time against Djokovic in their two meetings in Shanghai.

However, the Swiss immediately recovered and hit three winners in the eighth game, creating a 5-3 lead. Novak held on in the ninth match to extend the battle before Roger fired three winners in the next match to reach the final on his Shanghai Masters debut.

Two rivals arranged another semi-final match years later. Federer passed a huge obstacle in the second round, defending five match points against Leonardo Mayer and defeating two more rivals to embrace his 36th match against Djokovic.

The Swiss recorded his 19th victory, dethroning the two-time champion 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 36 minutes. Novak had defeated Roger five times in the previous seven matches before Shanghai. The Serbian was unable to extend that streak, creating just one break chance and losing once in each set out of ten chances offered to his rival, ending his Shanghai Masters streak.

They remained neck and neck in the fastest and most advanced rallies. Still, Federer had the upper hand in the mod-range exchanges with five to eight shots.

Just like four years ago, they produced equal numbers in the winners and forced errors departments.

Novak again committed too many unforced errors, which plagued his chances. The defending champions closed the first game of the match with a forehand winner, reached a deuce on the return in the next and beat a backhand winner at 1-1 for another comfortable hold.

Roger took the fourth game with a volley winner and made it 2-2 on the return. Federer welcomed three unforced errors from his opponent and used Djokovic’s mistake for a break and the lead. Novak could have pulled the break back in the sixth game and landed a backhand crosscourt winner for a break chance.

The Swiss saved it with a forehand winner and held on to a 4-2 lead with a service winner. The Serbian took the seventh game with a service winner, but had no chance on the return in the next game after four powerful serves from his opponent.

Djokovic extended the battle with a lead at 30 in the ninth game before Federer closed the opener with a powerful serve in the next to lead 6-4 after 38 minutes.

Just like four years ago, Novak lost serve at the start of the second set after Roger’s forehand winner, with the older player building a set and a break advantage. The Swiss strengthened the break with a service winner and played three games in a row.

They served well in the next two matches and Djokovic had more problems at 1-3. He played against four break points, defended three with winners and stayed within one break deficit. Federer squandered those chances and took the sixth game with a service winner, controlled the scoreboard and moved closer to the finish.

Novak survived two deuces in the seventh game and made the final push on the return in the next game. Roger overcame five deuces, kept his rival away from break opportunities and secured a crucial hold with an unreturned serve.

Djokovic played at 3-5 against two match points, denied them winners and extended the battle with a service winner. Federer served for the win in game ten and sealed the deal with a backhand volley winner to book the title clash against Gilles Simon.