Nadal and Federer on collision course in Shanghai

AFP: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer breezed into the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Thursday and Juan Martin del Potro defeated racquet-smashing Alexander Zverev.

World number one Nadal blew away Fabio Fognini in 63 minutes and plays sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov as he pursues one of the few tournaments to have eluded him.

Timeless rival Federer was even faster, dismissing Ukrainian qualifier Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 6-2 in 61 minutes.  

The 31-year-old Spaniard Nadal, fresh off the back of triumphs at the US Open and China Open, anticipates a tough encounter against the Bulgarian Dimitrov.

Nadal, enjoying a late-career flourish, defeated good friend Dimitrov on his way to winning the China Open on Sunday, his sixth title of the season.

And he underlined his status as the man to beat in Shanghai as he battered the Italian Fognini 6-3, 6-1.

Dimitrov, chasing a spot at the season-ending ATP Finals in London, beat American Sam Querrey 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to set up a Chinese reunion with Nadal.

Federer, the Swiss world number two, plays either of the Frenchmen Gilles Simon or Richard Gasquet in the last eight on Friday.

A mouthwatering Nadal-Federer final on Sunday awaits if the celebrated pair continue at the current rate.

Sharapova storms into Tianjin quarterfinals

AFP: Maria Sharapova surged into the Tianjin Open quarter-finals on Thursday as she pursues her first tournament victory since her return from a doping ban.

The Russian former world number one defeated Magda Linette of Poland 7-5, 6-3 and will play Swiss qualifier Stefanie Voegele.

The 30-year-old Sharapova has been on the comeback trail since April after serving a 15-month suspension for taking the banned substance meldonium.

Sharapova, a five-time major-winner, is now ranked a lowly 86 in the world and she needed a wildcard to enter the Tianjin tournament.

She saw off 71st-ranked Linette in just over 98 minutes to reach only her second quarter-final since her return to action. 

Venus eclipsed by Japan’s rising star Osaka

AFP: Venus Williams suffered a shock exit in the second round of the WTA Hong Kong Open on Wednesday, comprehensively beaten 7-5, 6-2 by teenager Naomi Osaka.

Japan’s top-ranked player reeled off eight consecutive games at one stage to power into the quarter-finals.

It all seemed to be going to plan for second seed Williams when she broke the 19-year-old Osaka in the fifth game of the opening set.

But then the American’s first serve deserted her when serving for the set at 5-4. 

Two double faults and a series of fierce ground strokes from Osaka which unerringly kissed the lines enabled the world number 64 to break twice and take the set 7-5. 

Osaka, who made headlines when she knocked Angelique Kerber out of the US Open in the first round last month, continued in the same vein at the start of the second set and raced into a 5-0 lead.