Roger Federer stays on course to defend Shanghai Masters title

Shahida Jacobs
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Roger Federer celebrates

Roger Federer is two wins away from successfully defending his Shanghai Masters title after seeing off Kei Nishikori in the quarter-final.

The top seed broke twice in the first five games of the match and, although Nishikori managed to get one break back, he lost the set 6-4.

Federer again broke early in the second, but the Japanese eighth seed levelled it up in the six game only to lose the tie-breaker for a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) defeat.

“It was a tough match. Obviously Kei hogs the baseline much more than [Daniil] Medvedev did or also what [Roberto Bautista Agut] did. I think it was a different type of match,” the 20-time Grand Slam winner said after the match.

“I was very happy with the beginning of the match, to be quite honest. I played quite great there. Then the second set was key moments who was going to play a little bit better. Kei really tried to step it up one more time. I somehow got it done, so I was very pleased.”

Federer will play Borna Coric for a place in the final after the Serb secured a 7-5, 6-4 victory over unseeded Australian Matthew Ebden.

The other semi-final will see second seed Novak Djokovic up against the fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev.

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