Nadal remains on track for three titles in a row

Rafael Nadal made it 14 wins in a row with another crushing victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters.

The world No 1 is looking for a third title in succession after victories at the US Open and China Open and, on this form, will take some stopping.

Nadal dominated proceedings against flashy Italian Fabio Fognini, winning 6-3, 6-1 in 62 minutes. Fognini’s only real chance came early in the second set, when he created his only two break points, but Nadal saved them both and did not look back.

The Spaniard next faces Grigor Dimitrov, who he beat in three sets in Beijing last week, after the Bulgarian defeated Sam Querrey 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

Roger Federer was even swifter than Nadal, taking exactly an hour to see off Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 6-2. Juan Martin del Potro claimed a notable 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 win over third seed Alexander Zverev. After relegation from the top flight of the European Championships this summer Scotland women’s head coach Gordon Shepherd has rung the changes for the three Test matches against Ireland in ten days’ time.

Only eight of the European squad are named, with the rest of the places going to the younger players hitherto on the fringe of the side.

Shepherd said: “The key things for these games is to give an opportunity to those who were not selected during the summer to stake a claim for a place in the warm weather camp in January which willbeaselectionphasefor the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

“We still have a good number of experienced players in the squad which gives us a good balance.”

Pride of place goes to Dundee Wanderers’ Emily Dark, who at 17 years and two months will be the youngest player ever capped by the Scotland coach.

She is one of the five new caps in the squad. The other are Wildcats’ Aussie-born keeper Danni Mcmurray, Laura Swanson from Edinburgh University who has taken two years to recover from major knee reconstruction, Leicester’s Rachael Mack and Lorna Cruikshank from Durham University who is also a member of the GB Elite Development Programme.

Shepherd said: “I am looking forward to seeing the five new caps in this environment. Emily Dark will be the youngest player that I have given a cap to. She is an exciting prospect and has progressed massively this year.”