Shanghai Day 3: Civil War

They meant war. Last time they played, David Ferrer brought an ailing Rafael Nadal to his knees.

Rafa was determined to exact revenge.

They may be compatriots, but the jaw-dropping display of tennis they entertained the world with today was nothing short of a civil war. Point after point after point of phenomenal tennis.

It was a returner's match. But it didn't feel like it because both played with such relentless aggression. Making it one of the most unique hardcourt matches between men I've ever seen. Thoroughly entertaining.

I'd like to describe a point for you, but each point was its own entire match. Both players discovered new parts of the court creating angles that didn't before exist. I could've sworn the court possessed more than four corners. Neither hesitated for a split second to race into the forecourt when the opporunity revealed itself.

And because the tour's best returners are also arguably the fastest, the warriors covered enough real estate to found a small town.

Ferrer had to recover from two breaks down to lose the first set by a single break of serve differential, but it was that recovery that foretold what would happen in the second set.

It was arguably the single best set of tennis played this year. Ferrer broke Nadal in the eigth game and served for the set at 5-3, but Rafa dug deep and played as perfect a return game as can be played to break at love and keep the set alive.

But David wasn't rattled. His deep returns forced Rafa into numerous errors in the ninth game and Ferrer stole the set 6-4 with the advantage of serving first in the decider.

An advantage that paid dividends as David broke in the fourth game, a game in which he retrieved a lob he had absolutely no business retrieving, and consolidated at love with four. Consecutive. Winning. Shots.

Stupendously superb tennis.

Another break earned with pummeling inside-out forehands and David served for the match at 5-1. Could Rafa fight back? Could he?

If anybody could, Rafa could. Ferrer tightened up and Rafa took advantage, breaking for 2-5. But serving to stay in the match, Rafa faced a match point. A tricky slice serve into the body drew a return error and he eventually held, reducing his arrears to just two games.

Could David serve it out the second time? Uh. Yeah. To love.

His second consecutive victory over the world No. 2 on hardcourts and this time it was Rafa's mind, not his body, that let him down.

Seems the end of this year is all about players named David.

"Well, not quite," says a certain Frenchman.



The match that could represent a turning point in each young man's career was also a war. A cold war.

No way Richard Gasquet could forget about how Novak Djokovic bamboozled him out of the title in Estoril in the year's worst match.

Today, Richard started strong, taking a two break lead in the first set. He surrendered one, but held on to win 6-4.

In the second set, Djoke started hitting the ball harder, but it wasn't enough. Gasquet had to fight himself harder than he had to fight his opponent but he won both battles and a chance to make the semifinals.

It's nice to see a player of Gasquet's ability finally win some mental battles. Against an opponent he'd never beaten who's also 20-years-old, who's also being touted as a future champion, this mental victory could become huge in shaping their future rivalry should a future rivalry shape up at all.

As for Djoke, he just doesn't have an imposing game. He doesn't hit with enough pace to win his matches efficiently and apparently that has taken a toll already on his physicality. All those long lugubrious five-set dirges he played (on grass and hardcourts!!!) at the Slams this year have drained him. For his height, he's not that big or strong. To see him wind up and throw his entire body into a shot in order to hit a winner is somewhat uncomfortable to watch. He looks like he's going to break himself in two.



It's no wonder he takes so many timeouts in best-of-five affairs. No wonder he finds it necessary to tank so many sets in best-of-three affairs. If he doesn't put some meat on his bones and play a more aggressive game instead of running around and sliding all over the court like his compatriot Jelena Jankovic, I don't see him getting anywhere near the tennis heights predicted by his loudest cheerleaders in the tennis media. Or his mother.

After today's results, only Djoke has been eliminated from the event. And not even Ferrer, who is 2-0, is guaranteed a spot in the semifinals. If Gasquet beats Ferrer and Nadal beats Djoke in straight sets, Ferrer could fail to advance.

Dare I say Tennis Masters Cup 2007 is turning into a fascinating event?