Fernando Gonzalez did the unthinkable. For him anyway. He stunned defending champion Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-5 to earn his first victory over the world No. 1 in 11 tries. The upset ends Raja's unbeaten round-robin record in Masters Cup play.
In a match that featured remarkable tennis from both players from first point to last, Gonzo gave his almost-unable-to-bear-watching parents something special to celebrate. Perhaps they need to come to more of their son's events.
The Chilean fans were also out in full force to help lift Gonzo past any doubt as he fought like a Champion to get the win.
I was simply shocked that he didn't fold. He won the second-set tiebreak so convincingly, he sent Raja into a hissy fit. On Raja's set-ending forehand that was halfway to the backstop, he sat down and said to the chair umpire, "I asked for the challenge twice.... You're making me look like an idiot.... Don't gimme that shit."
I don't know, diva. Challenging a call on a shot that practically landed in Hong Kong might've made you look like an idiot.
Are the vultures circling?
Gonzo had one helluva service hold in his first service game of the second set, saving four break points to get on the board. That hold seem to incense Federer even more and he had to fight off a break point on his own serve. He shot Gonzo a glare as if to say, "Don't you know you're supposed to be folding to me right about now? Don't you know who I am?"
Gonzo was having none of it.
The rest of the third set was well-played, with both players holding rather comfortably until the 11th game, when out of nowhere, Gonzo hit three laser forehands to earn two breakpoints which he won with a touch volley.
Serving for the match, he quickly gained a 40-0 lead and then double faulted. Uh oh. But he immediately recovered and when Raja's last shot flew out, Gonzo raised his arms in triumph. The crowd exploded.
Raja hasn't lost consecutive matches on the tour in more than four years.
"It was a tough loss," Federer said. "I thought I played pretty good."
"I can't do much when he drills that incredible forehand in the corner. I wish I had an excuse but I just lost the tiebreak in a bad way and never got the edge in the third set."
The Red Group just got interesting.
No. 5 seed Andy Roddick got his fifth win over No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
Roddick struggled in his opening service game, fighting off 4 break points, but earned an early break and cruised through the first set.
When he broke serve in the seventh game of the second set, it look as though he was going to win his 11th consecutive set against Kolya.
But the Russian got angry and broke back with his hardest hitting of the match. Roddick didn't miss a first serve. Kolya held easily for 5-4.
Serving at 4-5, Roddick donated his service game and the set when his forehand vacated the stadium and he hit three strait errors to lose the set. Of course he broke his racquet.
Kolya held serve for 1-0 in the third for 4 games in a row, and then lost 5 games in a row, surrendering serve twice.
An engaging, seesaw affair.
When Kolya challenged a call on matchpoint, adding a touch of suspense to the end, both players stood at the net and looked to the big screen to see that, indeed, Andy's forehand cleaned the sideline, and giving Andy the early lead in the Red Group.
Shanghai Day 2: Upset Special
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