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Federer wins opener at Masters Cup
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-14 10:39
SHANGHAI, China - Not quite sure what to expect of his game, Roger Federer
began his bid for a third straight Tennis Masters Cup title with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
victory Sunday over David Nalbandian.
Federer, recovering from a
sprained ankle, was playing his first match in seven weeks and moved smoothly
against the eighth-seeded Argentine in the season-ending championship.
"There were some good moments and some bad moments," Federer said. "But with
the injury, I'm happy I'm back."
In the day's other match, sixth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia defeated
fourth-seeded Guillermo Coria of Argentina 6-2, 6-3. Ljubicic, making his
Masters Cup debut, has reached the final in four of his last five tournaments.
The other group in the elite eight-player field — Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi,
Nicolay Davydenko and Gaston Gaudio — begins play Monday night.
Federer is attempting to match the three consecutive season-ending titles of
Ivan Lendl (1985-87). Pete Sampras won three, the last in 1999, when it was
known as the ATP Tour World Championships.
Federer, the Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion, improved to 78-3 this year.
The top-seeded Swiss could equal John McEnroe's match-winning percentage record
(.965) in a calendar year, the best of the men's professional-era, by winning
his two round-robin matches and the title.
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