Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to face off for Shanghai title in chapter 38 of storied rivalry
World number one beats Marin Cilic in semi-finals while Swiss legend sees off Juan Martin del Potro
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will meet in Sunday’s final of the Shanghai Masters, just the latest chapter in their storied rivalry.
The celebrated duo have faced one another 37 times, with the Spaniard and world number one Nadal winning 23 of their contests.
And the 31-year-old Nadal, who has never won the Shanghai Masters, will be slight favourite this time because he goes into the showdown on a terrific run of form and Federer faces a quicker turn around.
Nadal, a 16-time grand slam champion, triumphed at the US Open and then last week at the China Open for his sixth title of another remarkable campaign.
But he was forced to survive a roller coaster with fourth seed Marin Cilic in their semi-final, saving three set points in the opener before pulling through 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
The Swiss Federer, the world number two chasing a second Shanghai crown, rolled back the years to recover from a set down and defeat Juan Martin del Potro 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.