Fuente: © Tennis Masters Cup
http://www.masters-cup.com/

TENNIS MASTERS CUP - SHANGHAI: Federer into Semifinals Unbeaten in Red Group

/noticias.info/ By Bill Scott

Roger Federer (audio) claimed a semi-final spot at the Tennis Masters Cup on Thursday as he pounded Ivan Ljubicic for an eighth straight time to finish round-robin play undefeated at 15-0 through his career to date.

The Swiss world No. 1 confirmed his weekend booking as he defeated Croatian Ljubicic 7-6 (7-2), 6-4. He closed out victory with his seventh ace.

That win in 93 minutes, coupled with David Nalbandian's 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Andy Roddick (report) a few hours earlier, left only one semi-final place to be decided on Friday in the Gold group.

James Blake booked the first spot a day earlier, marking a successful debut at the year-end event for the American who holds five titles this season.

Federer was again on song as he won his 90th match of 2006 against just five losses.
Ivan Ljubicic

The 25-year-old world-beater is making his fifth consecutive Tennis Masters Cup appearance.

After reaching the semifinals at Shanghai in 2002, he won consecutive titles at Houston in 2003-04, before his 14-match Masters Cup winning streak was ended in last year's Shanghai final by Nalbandian in a five-set comeback thriller.

Federer lost the first game of the match against Ljubicic, but quickly put that mis-step right with an early break-back. He claimed the set on the first of four set points.

The Swiss broke in the third game of the second set, then saved three break points to hold for 3-1.

It was soon only a matter of time before Federer finished off Ljubicic for the tenth time in 14 meetings dating to 2000 in Marseille. notas_de_prensa_archivo