Shanghai - Roger Federer lived through a second opening-match loss in a shaky start on Monday at the Masters Cup as the top seed went down to Gilles Simon 4-6, 
6-4, 6-3.

The Red group upset was the second in three months for the unheralded Frenchman who only got into the elite field when Rafael Nadal withdrew with a knee injury.

Andy Murray joined his fellow year-end newcomer with a victory, taking down former number one Andy Roddick 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.

Federer was beaten a year ago in his first match by Fernando Gonzalez, but came back to lift the title, his fourth in five years at the season-ending spectacular.

Simon stunned the Swiss in the Toronto second round three months ago and was pleased to repeat the feat in China.

"I felt that I have a chance to win in the second set," said the outsider who trailed a set and a break. "I just wanted to do the maximum for that.

"I've defeated him once, so it was easier to finish the match, he said of an effort which included 50 Federer unforced errors. "I had no complex when I served in the last game.

"For sure it was again one of the best victories of my career."

Federer said that the back which forced him out of Paris earlier this month was not a problem - but his tennis was.

"Today maybe I missed shots I normally don't miss," said the 13-time Grand Slam champion, still 26-4 in year-end play. "It's just lack of practice and just uncertainty where my back was today.

"Against top players that's not enough. Now at least I have a match under my belt, especially three sets, and I hope I can play better in the next one."

"Actually, there was no pain," said Federer, leading the tougher of the two groups in Shanghai. "I was happy the way it held up. "I was sort of skeptical going into the match because the practise sessions haven't been hard at all. I really tried to not push it at all. I was actually happy that the back felt okay."

Simon went down a break in the third game of the second set but got it back a game later before squaring at a set each on another Federer error.

In the decisive third, Simon and Federer each recovered from 0-40 in back-to-back games. But the Shanghai debutant took a 5-3 lead on a break and calmly served out victory to improve to 2-0 against the former number one.

"I was just happy when I was leading 4-3 in the third because I knew I had the chance to win.

"I didn't wait the beginning of the third set to think that I had a chance to win. I really started believing in me and my chance to win at the beginning of the match." (dpa)