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SHANGHAI. — Andy Murray demolished Roberto Bautista 7-6 (7/1), 6-1 yesterday as he won the Shanghai Masters tennis title without dropping a set and slashed the gap on world number one Novak Djokovic. The Wimbledon and Olympic champion won seven points in a row in the first-set tie-breaker and broke Bautista three times in the second set to lift his third Shanghai title.

Second-ranked Murray has now won 20 straight sets in a 10-match winning streak, marching to back-to-back titles in China including last week’s China Open victory in Beijing. Murray also cuts the gap on Djokovic, who was shocked by Spain’s Bautista in the semis, to 915 points as he zeroes in on the Serb’s top ranking.

“The last few months I’ve played very well in all of the tournaments and obviously I’m happy to be back in the final again here,” the 2010 and 2011 winner told the crowd. Murray’s first serve of the match was a thumping ace and he took a grip on the first set at 3-3 when Bautista netted a backhand to lose the first break point of the match.

But Murray, serving at 5-4, lost three set points and got in a tangle on a drop shot to hand Bautista his first break point, which he converted with a strong forehand. The Briton slammed three consecutive aces for 6-6 and he dominated the tie-break, winning seven points in a row and taking the set with a sizzling backhand return.

A string of Bautista errors put Murray a break up at the start of set two, but to his obvious frustration he gave it straight back with a miscued forehand. But Bautista twice double faulted to go a break down before handing over yet another break, making victory a formality for Murray who buried his first championship point.

With his 41st tournament victory and sixth this year, Murray joins Stefan Edberg in joint 15th place on the list of Open-era title winners. Meanwhile, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki beat unseeded French challenger Kristina Mladenovic to take the Hong Kong Open title yesterday after a battle of wills that lasted almost three hours.

Wozniacki of Denmark, seeded fifth in the competition, stormed the first set 6-1 with Mladenovic visibly despondent and limping slightly. The 23-year-old Frenchwoman emerged in the second set with her right leg bandaged and with a renewed focus, forcing Wozniacki to dive around the court with a combination of drop shots and powerful drives.

The set went to 6-6, with Mladenovic sealing the tie-break 7-4 to go even. Spectators around the packed stadium waved paper fans constantly on a hot and humid afternoon, with temperatures at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Dressed all in green, a determined Wozniacki (26) finally sealed victory in the third set. A tired Mladenovic was ultimately unable to match the Dane’s power and consistency. Frequently bending to lean on her racquet between points, the Frenchwoman was in tears as she desperately tried to fight back after Wozniacki took a 5-0 lead.

Wozniacki eventually took the final set 6-2.

“I’m really pleased with my week this week — there was some good tennis and long battles,” Wozniacki told reporters. The Dane said the final had been a mental battle, as it was unclear to her how badly Mladenovic was hurt.

“It wasn’t easy mentally because sometimes she would look like she couldn’t play, and then she would run like Speedy Gonzalez clearly it’s not that bad if you can run side to side. There was definitely a mental game. I just happened to win it,” she said.

Wozniacki herself has battled back from injury and has had a resurgent run of form in the past two months, reaching the semi-finals of the US Open and winning the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

She is still without a Grand Slam title to her name and said it was her ambition to win one. “It’s the only thing missing from my CV,” she said. Wozniacki had downed seventh seed Jelena Jankovic, also a former world number one, to book her finals place.

Mladenovic had been aiming for her first WTA title it was the third time she had made a singles competition final only to lose. She told reporters she had struggled with exhaustion and a hamstring injury during the final after a week of long matches, as well as suffering in the heat and humidity.

“I was not coming out fresh and when you play someone like Caroline, who is running down every point, you have to fight,” she said, adding that she was sad and frustrated during the match.

“It was very difficult. I have no idea how I made it to three sets.”

Venus Williams and current world number one Angelique Kerber went out earlier in the competition. — AFP.