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10/13/11 3:00 PM | Ricky Dimon
At 28 years old, Florian Mayer turns in arguably the best performance of his career and dissects Rafael Nadal in straight sets on Thursday in Shanghai. Mayer is through to the quarterfinals.
This one was worth the wait for Florian Mayer.
Ten years after turning pro, 28-year-old Florian Mayer scored the biggest win of his career on Thursday night when he upset Rafael Nadal 7-6(5), 6-3 in the third round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Mayer delivered a near-flawless performance and advanced to the quarterfinals after one hour and 47 minutes.
The German struck 29 winners against 28 unforced errors--a stellar ratio especially against an opponent of Nadal's defensive caliber--and most of those errors came at the end of entertaining rallies. Mayer also won an incredible 33 of 37 first-serve points and never faced a single break point.
As a result, it was another long day at the office for Nadal--who was also on the receiving end of an unconscious showing by Andy Murray in the Tokyo final. Still, the top seed started strong and went toe-to-toe with Mayer in the early stages. Nadal held with ease en route to 4-4 in the first set without having to save a break point.
The first trouble spot came at 4-5, when the favorite stared a 0-30 deficit in the face. Nadal climbed out of it and eventually survived three deuces while saving two break points en route to 5-5. Two routine holds later, a tiebreaker had to decide the opener. Nadal seized a quick mini-break for 3-1, but it was all Mayer the rest of the way. Mayer leveled it at 4-4, earned his second mini-break when Nadal missed a forehand at 5-5, and crushed his third ace to win the set.
With momentum in hand, Mayer turned up what had already been a high level of play in the second. The world No. 23 seized the day's first break at 3-3, catching fire with his backhand. Nadal had no chance to get back into the match as Mayer held easily and then broke again to end it in style. Mayer set up match point with a clean down-the-line backhand and capitalized on his first chance with a lunging backhand pass.
Nadal wrapped up his effort with 19 winners and 24 errors while serving at 74 percent. Mayer, meanwhile, moves on and awaits either Tomas Berdych or Feliciano Lopez.
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croc - against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez last year in Bangkok
RickyDimon , 10/13/11 3:41 PM
Hmmm, didn't see the match, but it does seem to me that Rafa took a dive post Wimbledon, that got more pronounced after the US Open. Or just being plain unlucky in meeting opponents on song. To be fair, his game does allow opponents in the zone to capitalize - see Tsonga 2008 AO, Murray 2008 USO etc.
samprallica , 10/13/11 3:46 PM
Yes, when Rafa is not at his own best level, players in the zone could capitalize. Its the same with any player, like Fed for example at Paris Masters in 2009, lost to Benneteau in the first match, Murray too this year at Montreal, or when he lost to Donald Young earlier on.
luckystar , 10/13/11 3:56 PM
RickyDimon - funny one!
croc , 10/13/11 4:03 PM
Rafa seems to bring out the best in his opponents. Mayer it would seem played a perfect match and deserved to win, so congrats to him. From what I have seen of him he is a talented player who has a very good serve and all round game, so not really surprised to see my boy lose against him.
Not too upset to see Rafa going out here - at least he will be able to go home and chill out for a while with family and friends.
Vamos dear Rafa - you will live to fight another day that's for sure!
schatz , 10/13/11 4:17 PM
I was gonna stay up to watch the match, but I didn't. Now I wake up and find this!!!! LOL. I have no idea how to even process this, especially after what happened against Murray recently. I don't know what else to say just yet, but what I'm thinking is NOT good.
djb247365 , 10/13/11 4:34 PM
Obviously, Rafa is at a lull at the moment, but I look forward to next year when I hope he'll have regrouped and get his confidence back.
I was sad that I'm going away for a month, but without Rafa I'm not missing much. I don't think I'll put myself out to watch Paris either as it's always difficult to get tennis in when I'm not at home.
I'll try and go to the O2 to see him.
Vamos Rafa
nadline , 10/13/11 4:39 PM
And Lopez has beaten Berdych. So Berdych the next one of the top seeds to fall. Ferrer and Murray were taken to three sets today by their opponents too but fortunately they survived.
luckystar , 10/13/11 4:43 PM
LOL Ricky
ts38 , 10/13/11 5:05 PM
highlights - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W2VIAO76dE
RickyDimon , 10/13/11 5:07 PM
There is no problem with Andy,
He played very well for a first match, Tokyo against Baggy was a 3 setter,
And we know what happened after that.
You have to hand it to this Mayer character as well, he was brilliant so could take advantage of a Rafa not his usual sunny self.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity after all.
Sosueme , 10/13/11 5:21 PM
Mayer will lose in straights tomorrow..
You heard it here first!
Sosueme , 10/13/11 5:33 PM
No! I'm waiting for him to meet Murray in the final! I've noticed this Mayer guy a long time already, since last year's Hamburg tournament where he reached the semifinal. His strokes can be unorthodox, and he's skillful at the net. His two handed backhand slice looks a bit like Davy's. I always like unorthodox players, players who don't conform to the classical style of tennis, and that's why I love Rafa, and like Simon, Dolgo, Murray and Tomic. I may include Mayer too, now that I see his game in full flow.
luckystar , 10/13/11 5:55 PM
What is it with Shanghai? Every year players seem to fall by the wayside by the dozen -either from illness, injury or just plain exhaustion and burn out.
ed251137 , 10/13/11 6:30 PM
"He played really well. I didn't. I felt that I was not playing bad from the baseline. But my return, when he was serving the first serve, was terrible tonight. I only won four points in whole match [on his] first serve. So I cannot expect win a match when the opponent is playing well, is serving well, is doing very good serve and volleys, returning, and only winning four points with returning the first serve. [I] congratulate him.
"For me today is [a] disappointing day. I think I was doing everything right, practicing with good motivation, practicing well in general. I had a good result [at the] US Open. I had a good result last week. Today is a tough lose, that's the truth. [It] was not my day. I am out of the tournament. I am going to work hard for the next tournament."
RickyDimon , 10/13/11 6:41 PM
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Florian Mayer 
i totally misjudged this match-up! looking forward to a good analysis from TT team.
by the way, when was the last time nadal played a match without creating a single breakpoint?
croc , 10/13/11 3:19 PM