Dodig upsets Nadal in Montreal

Nadal now has more work to do to regain the World No 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic, who shook off a slow start to beat Nikolay Davydenko and continue his winning ways.


Spaniard Rafael Nadal returns to Croatian Ivan Dodig during Wednesday's
Rogers Cup match in Montreal. PIC/AFP

Dodig, ranked 41st in the world, fired 19 aces in a 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) victory over Nadal, who took to the court with a sinus infection but still ran away with the first set.

"Honestly, I didn't feel I played bad... but I can't say I played well. In the decisive moments, I didn't play well, that's the truth," the Spanish World No 2 said.

Dodig used his big serve to mount a comeback and eventually to give himself a chance of victory when he fired down a 135 mile an hour (217 kilometre an hour) ace to take a 6-5 lead in the third-set tiebreaker. He took the match on the next point with a backhand that Nadal could not return.

"This is the biggest win of my career, of my life," said an excited Dodig.

"I enjoyed it so much. I was fighting hard for every point. In the end I managed, I'm really happy."

Nadal said Dodig's go-for-broke play and his own lack of recent matches contributed to the defeat.

"He played very well, very aggressive," Nadal said.

"He didn't feel the pressure in the important moments."

Nadal had his chances, leading 3-1 in the second set and 3-0 in the third. He also served for the match at 5-3
in the final set but was unable to close it out.

Djokovic, who reached the third round with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Davydenko, has now won 49 of the 50 matches he has played this season.

It's Fed vs Tsonga again
Third seed Roger Federer began his hardcourt run to the US Open with a clinical 7-5, 6-3 defeat of Canadian wildcard Vasek Pospisil.

The Swiss was playing his first ATP match since his Wimbledon quarter-final loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

And the win set up a re-match with the Frenchman, who advanced with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) victory over Australian Bernard Tomic. Federer said: "At Wimbledon it was really a matter of our serves and forehands. It was a matter of a couple of points."

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