Two-time defending champion Roger Federer
dropped his opening round-robin match on Monday, while U.S. Open runner-up
Andy Murray beat Andy Roddick at the $4.45 million Tennis Masters Cup.
Frenchman Gilles Simon pulled off a big upset with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 triumph
over the top-seeded, former world No. 1 Federer, who is now 0-2 lifetime
against Simon, with the other setback coming at a Masters Series event in
Toronto back in July.
Simon pulled off the stunner in 2 hours, 7 minutes with the help of seven
aces. He also broke Federer's serve on three occasions, compared to only two
breaks for the mighty Swiss.
The eighth-seeded Simon only became part of the exclusive eight-man field
here after world No. 1 Rafael Nadal withdrew because of a knee injury and
fatigue last week.
Simon, making his Masters Cup debut, is 1-0 in the four-player Red Group,
while Federer is 0-1.
Federer, a four-time champion at this season-ending tournament, is the
only former winner in this year's field. The reigning five-time U.S. Open
champ lost for only the fourth time in 30 lifetime matches at this
event, and for the second straight year dropped his opener in round-robin
play.
The Swiss superstar can still win the tournament -- as he did last year after
an early loss -- if he earns one of the two spots in the semifinals from his
round-robin group. The other players in the Red Group are Murray and the
former top-ranked Roddick.
The 13-time major champion Federer beat Spaniard David Ferrer in last year's
finale in Shanghai.
A third-seeded Murray remained hot with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 decision over the
former world No. 1 Roddick, who's seeded fifth this week. Murray, making his
Masters Cup debut, moved to 1-0 in the Red Group, while Roddick is 0-1.
Murray handled Roddick in 1 hour, 35 minutes. The Brit broke Roddick's
powerful serve three times, while the American could manage only two breaks in
defeat. The Brit also out-aced Roddick, 9-3.
The 21-year-old Murray is now 5-3 all-time versus Roddick.
Murray has now won 15 of his last 16 matches, including a pair of titles in
St. Petersburg and Madrid.
On Tuesday, Gold Group action will be the order of the day, as second-seeded
Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia (1-0) takes on fourth-seeded
Russian Nikolay Davydenko (1-0) and sixth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
(0-1) battles seventh-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro (0-1). The Aussie
Open runner-up and Paris Masters titlist Tsonga and del Potro are making their
Masters Cup debuts this week.
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