SHANGHAI - David Nalbandian fought back from two sets down to stun world tennis No 1 Roger Federer and win the season-ending Masters Cup.
Nalbandian's 6-7 6-7 6-2 6-1 7-6 victory -- only Federer's fourth loss all year -- snapped the Swiss maestro's 35-match winning streak and denied him a
share of John McEnroe's professional-era record for a season of 82-3 set in 1984.
"I surprised the whole world," said Nalbandian, who won US$1.4 million ($2.05 million) and the keys to a new Mercedes car.
"He almost never loses. To come back from two sets down against the No 1 in the world, with his record, it's incredible."
The 12th-ranked Nalbandian had looked finished at two sets down but he hit back with some sparkling tennis as an exhausted Federer faded in the next two sets.
Federer valiantly fought back from 4-0 down in the fifth and was two points from victory at 6-5 and 30-0 but Nalbandian battled again to force a decisive tiebreak.
Nalbandian, the first Argentine to reach the final since Guillermo Vilas won in 1974, won it 7-3 to seal victory after four hours, 33 minutes for the biggest title of his career.
Federer, playing his first event since injuring his ankle last month, had won his last 24 tournament finals dating back to October 2003 until falling to Nalbandian.
"I knew I was putting all those records on the line when I came here," said the Wimbledon and US Open champion.
"I wish I could've gone two points further. It hurts."
Federer, who called an injury timeout early in the fourth set, could barely move at the start of the fifth and had stopped chasing down Nalbandian's shots.
With a raucous crowd at Shanghai's Qi Zhong stadium chanting "Roger, Roger", however, Federer slowly dragged himself back into the match.
Ultimately, though, the task proved too great.
"Somehow those first two sets took too much out of me," Federer said.
Federer had won his last four matches against Nalbandian, including the opening match of the Masters Cup last weekend. The Argentine had won their first five meetings.
Federer also failed in his bid to become only the third man to win the season-ending extravaganza three years in a row.
Only Ilie Nastase from 1971-73 and Ivan Lendl (1985-87) have achieved the feat.
- REUTERS
SHANGHAI - David Nalbandian fought back from two sets down to stun world tennis No 1 Roger Federer and win the season-ending Masters Cup.
Nalbandian's 6-7 6-7 6-2 6-1 7-6 victory -- only Federer's fourth loss all year -- snapped the Swiss maestro's 35-match winning streak and denied him a
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.