Roger Federer cruises past Rafael Nadal to win Shanghai Masters

ByBen Snowball

Updated 17/10/2017 at 09:23 GMT

Roger Federer produced a brilliant display to beat old foe Rafael Nadal in the Shanghai Masters final, extending his win streak over the Spaniard to five matches.

The Swiss was devastating on a fast court as he came through 6-4 6-3 to claim a 94th career title.

Nadal is still likely to finish the year as world number one, but his record against Federer in 2017 is a blight on an otherwise superb season that has seen both men clinch two Grand Slam titles.

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Federer leads their rivalry 4-0 this campaign – with his winning run starting in Basel in 2015 – as his victory in China added to wins at the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami.

"I wasn't here last year because of injuries, so it's just so, so nice to be back in Shanghai," Federer said.

"It's a wonderful moment for me to be back here playing against my good friend and rival, Rafa... We didn't think maybe we were going to have the year we did.

"I definitely didn't, so it's just nice to share this court with you today and hopefully there's more to come in the tournaments we've got left. It's been a pleasure playing against you again today."

Federer got off to the perfect start, breaking Nadal in the opening game to set the tone for a one-sided contest.

The world number two was imperious on serve throughout – surviving the match without facing a single break point – as he wrapped up victory in 73 minutes.

Shanghai-Champion Roger Federer

Image credit: Getty Images

"I want to congratulate Roger and his team for a great year. Today I think you played a fantastic match, so many congratulations," Nadal said.

"This year has probably been the most successful of my career here in China... It's been a great two weeks and I feel very happy after a long year to be able to have the results here. It's very important for me."

Both players are scheduled to play in Basel and Paris before the ATP Tour Finals in London, with Nadal (10,465 points) well clear of Federer (8505) in the race to be the year-end number one.

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