Djokovic wins Shanghai thriller
In an absorbing final Novak Djokovic won his 15th Masters 1000 shield with a 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(3) victory over Juan Martin Del Potro at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
Both men came into Shanghai after tournament victories a week before but it was defending champion Djokovic who made the fast start and raced into a 5-0 first set lead. Del Potro fended off two set points in the sixth game but Djokovic sealed the opener a game later after 34 minutes of play.
Sixth seed Del Potro, who had defeated World No.1 Rafael Nadal a round earlier, rebounded with a break in game two of the second set when Djokovic committed three uncharacteristic forehand errors.
Del Potro built on the lead and vitally held from love-40 to lead 5-2. Two games later the big hitting Argentinean levelled the match when Djokovic fired a forehand long.
In a dramatic decider Djokovic saved a break point with an ace in the fifth game before Del Potro fought off two break points a game later.
Serving at 4-5 2009 US Open champion Del Potro fended off two match points and the match went the distance to a final set tie-break. After an early exchange of mini-breaks, Djokovic unleashed an inside out forehand winner to lead 4-2 and sealed victory with a backhand riffled up the line after 2 hours and 32 minutes.
Stat Attack – Djokovic
- With his 39th career singles title - from 60 finals - Djokovic has now won five titles (or more) in a season five times
- The Serb’s quarter final defeat of Gael Monfils was his 60th victory of 2013 – the 26 year-old has won over 60 matches for each of the last 7 years
Stat Attack – Del Potro
- Del Potro was attempting to win his first Masters 1000 shield in his 38th appearance; he now holds a 0-3 record in finals
Kerber edges out Ivanovic in Linz
Top seed Angelique Kerber won the Generali Ladies Linz title with a fluctuating 6-4, 7-6(6) win over two-time champion Ana Ivanovic.
The German, who sealed her berth at the WTA championships with victory in the quarter finals, converted her fifth break point in the third game before opening a 4-1 lead.
Firing winners, former World No.1 Ivanovic broke back twice and had chances to lead 5-4 but could not convert and Kerber broke again and took the opener a game later.
Ivanovic rebounded by opening a 3-1 lead in the second set but failed to take advantage of points to lead 4-1. Kerber struck back and a run of four games put the World No.10 on the verge of victory.
Serving for the title Kerber set up three match points only to see Ivanovic reel off three forehand winners. The Serb broke back and held two set points in the twelfth game.
Kerber held on to force a tie-break and survived another two set points as she won the final four points from 4-6 to take her first title of 2013.
Stat Attack – Kerber
- All 3 of Kerber’s career singles titles have come on indoor hard courts
- Kerber is on course to be the first German woman to finish two consecutive years ranked in the top 10 since Steffi Graf (1985-96) and Anke Huber (1995-96)
Stat Attack – Ivanovic
- Ivanovic had played 37 tournaments since reaching her last final at Bali in 2011
Stosur fights back to conquer Bouchard in Osaka
Sam Stosur won the HP Open in Osaka for the second time by battling back to defeat Eugenie Bouchard 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
In her first WTA final 19 year-old Bouchard made a confident start taking the opening set from the 2011 US Open champion and staying close to the Australian in the second set.
The third seed claimed a vital break in the eleventh game and levelled the match a game later. 29 year-old Stosur dominated the decider and unleashed a forehand winner on match point to complete victory after 2 hours and 13 minutes.
Stat Attack – Stosur
- Having won Carlsbad earlier in the year the Australian No.1 has now won two singles titles in a season for the first time in her career
- Entering Osaka ranked 20th Stosur is aiming to finish a fifth consecutive season ranked in the top 20, after 3 straight years ranked in the top 10
Stat Attack – Bouchard
- The Canadian No.1 began the season ranked 144 and this week is at a career high 32nd after winning 39 matches so far in 2013