October 13, 2017 -- Shanghai, China
Roger solidified his semifinal appearance at the Shanghai Rolex Masters today as he battled against Richard Gasquet. The feisty Frenchman kept up and even broke early in the first set, but Roger buckled down to win the match 7-5, 6-4.
"I thought it was a really good match. Some big points, important shots at the right time for both guys sometimes to stay even, and we both created chances," he said. "I thought we were able to keep up the level from the beginning till the very end...I enjoyed it because it was slices and topspins and angles and power and finesse. I think the match had a bit of everything."
Roger sets up another clash against the big-hitting Argentine, Juan Martin del Potro. However, unfortunately during his match he fell and hurt his left wrist and went to the hospital to get an MRI.
"I hope for him that it's nothing serious. Of course it's on the wrist, as well, that he's had problems in the past, so this is where he's worried, rightfully so. For me, at the end of the day, nothing changes. I'm ready to come out here tomorrow and see the match like it's a revenge chance for the US Open, where it was tight and I couldn't win. So I see that more than his injury," Roger said. "But I hope for now that Juan Martin can recover and we can play a normal match."