Federer downs Shapovalov, next comes Miami Open title fight with Isner

Miami —  After a another exhibition of strong, high level and effective tennis Switzerland’s Roger Federer advanced on Friday to the men’s final of the Miami Open after defeating Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals.

Federer, 37, will play for the title in Miami for the first time since 2017, when he won his third trophy there.

The Swiss player only needed an hour and 13 minutes to beat 19-year-old Shapovalov, who was facing his idol for the first time.

“I think the first game helped me get a read on his serve, he has a real elastic arm,” Federer said at the end of the game.

“I played really good, it’s not easy to play that good against a leftie. He is great already but will be a better player in the future,” he added.

The Swiss tennis player will now face the American John Isner , seventh seed and defending champion, who earlier won 7-6 (3) and 7-6 (4) to the young Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, the world number 57.

The triumphs of Federer and Isner leave the ‘old guard’ as the current winners in the generational duels at the semifinals in Miami, ahead of the so-called #NextGenATP, the young and rising players that have burst strongly into the world of tennis.

The duel between Federer and Isner will be the eighth time the two will face each other, with an advantage of 5-2 for the Swiss.

Both players have not played against each other since the 2015 season when they played twice, with one win each, the last on for Isner, who beat Federer in the eighth round of the ATP Masters 1000 Paris.

In the match against Shapovalov, Federer confirmed the great form in which he currently is. The first set lasted only 35 minutes, with Federer winning 88 percent of his points with his first serve.

The Swiss achieved three breaks, two in the first set and another in the second, in the third game, and committed only one double fault, against five by Shapovalov.

Federer again produced, as he has all week, some vintage shots to teach his young opponent, and the tennis world, that he is not too old and cemented this by now holding the record for most ATP Master 1000 finals as this will be his 50th.

Federer won 67 points, including 30 receiving points for just eight of his rival, who managed a total of 45 points.