World number three and defending champion Roger Federer suffered a surprise defeat in the second round of the Shanghai Masters yesterday, losing 7-6 2-6 6-3 to Spanish player Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
The Swiss, returning to action after a month off, looked rusty against the 70th-ranked qualifier and despite looking back on track when he cruised through the second set, he succumbed in the decider to a single break of serve.
US Open runner-up Federer, 34, banged down 15 aces and won more points than his opponent but a lack of sharpness at crucial moments sent him spinning to defeat.
In other second round action, ninth seed Milos Raonic, one of several players hovering around the cut-off mark for the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London, came through against Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci in two tiebreaks.
South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, seeded 12, beat German veteran Tommy Haas in straight sets.
Today, top seed Novak Djokovic, fresh from winning a sixth Beijing title, takes on Slovakia’s Martin Klizan while Andy Murray, seeded three, plays American Steve Johnson.