RAFA Nadal's loss at the Shanghai Masters 1000 this afternoon (Sunday) took his rival Roger Federer up to number two in the world as the Swiss legend, back on form, gave Mallorca's most famous sportsman a run for his money.
Nadal (pictured on the right) has not managed to beat his long-running rival in three years, and tennis fans always agree that a Rafa-Roger confrontation guarantees some of the best and most thrilling spectator moments ever.
Whilst Rafa has been virtually unbeatable this season, his rival (left of the photograph) gave what the ATP described as a 'vintage Federer performance', meaning the 71-minute match was destined to keep the audience biting their nails to the knuckle throughout.
Federer's 6-4 6-3 victory clinched him his 700th hard-court match win and his 94th title, bringing him in line with legendary Ivan Lendl and with only one player – Jimmy Connors, on 109 – ahead of him in history in the cup collection.
Federer, 36, from Basel, connected seven direct serves and only lost four service points throughout the whole of the first set, ending on 6-4 after just 36 minutes.
Rafa's unbroken run of match wins – having sung victory in the last 16 – came to an end in Shanghai, a title that remains elusive to him and among one of the few he has never won.
Federer took home his second Shanghai 1000 trophy, his 27th Masters 1000, and his sixth title of the season, as well as making it five consecutive matches against Rafa where the Swiss has emerged the victor.
The last time Nadal beat Federer was in the semi-finals of the Australia Open in Melbourne in 2014.
So far this season, Federer has won 14 matches, and Nadal – who remains in the world number one slot – 23.
