Shanghai: Roger Federer saved three match points in a second-set tiebreaker before defeating Andy Roddick 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4 Tuesday at the Tennis Masters Cup.
Top-ranked Federer extended his winning stretch in round-robin matches at the season-ending championship to 14 and his streak against Roddick to eight.
David Nalbandian, who beat Federer in last year's final, was two points from victory before No 4-ranked Ivan Ljubicic rallied for a 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-5 win.
Nalbandian is now 0-2 - he lost to Federer on Sunday - and will play Roddick in his last round-robin match.
Roddick believes the tough loss will eventually help break the drought against Federer.
"If I don't believe now, then I never will," he said. "I put myself in a position to win. I'm getting closer as opposed to further away, so that's a trend I hope to continue."
Roddick won the first set after breaking in the third game on Federer's double-fault. He saved three set points in the 10th game of the second set and had match points at 6-4 in the tiebreaker before Federer won three straight points.
Federer then lost the next two to give Roddick another match point, having to fire a service winner to save.
On set point, Roddick leaped high for an overhead and smashed it long.
Roddick, whose service percentage reached the mid-80s in the first two sets, needed a big one in the tiebreaker.
"One of the only things I probably would have changed about that point at 6-4 is putting a first serve in," he said. "This won't be the last time I think about that."
Federer agreed that was the turning point.
"I think he played the perfect match for two sets - maybe one serve lacked in the end, so it was unfortunate for him," he said.
A lapse early in the third set cost Roddick the match. Federer got the break serve in the third game and closed out with three aces in the last game, including one down the middle on his second match point.
Federer would have secured a semi-final place if Nalbandian had beaten Ljubicic. That loomed with Nalbandian serving at 5-4 and 30-30 in the second.
Nalbandian lost the next two points and then went down in a tiebreaker. The third went on serve until Ljubicic broke in the 11th game.
Ljubicic served out at love, meaning all four players in the Red Group have a chance of making the semifinals.
In doubles matches on Tuesday, top-ranked Bob and Mike Bryan defeated Martin Damm and Leander Paes 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5).
Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett qualified for the semi-finals by beating Israeli pair of Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram 6-4, 6-4.
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