Breaking Down Rafael Nadal's Keys to Victory at Shanghai Masters

Rafael Nadal is seeking his 11th tournament win of 2013 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, but earning this title certainly will not be easy.

The Spanish star has certainly put together quite a season, amassing a 65-4 record heading into the week with Grand Slam wins at both Roland Garros and the U.S. Open. He also climbed all the way to No. 1 in the world with a finals appearance last week in Beijing.

However, he fell to Novak Djokovic in the final, which is the second time the Serbian has gotten the better of Nadal this season. This could be a problem once again, as the talented player looms on the other side of the bracket.

Prior to the dream final, he will have to defeat Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinal, which is far from a guarantee.

Nadal obviously has the talent to win the entire tournament, but he will need to follow these keys in the upcoming matches.

Keep First Serve in Play

All tennis players are better on the first serve compared to the second serve. However, Nadal is incredibly tough to beat when opponents are forced to play against the first serve.

Fans only have to look at this tournament to see how impressive he has been when accuracy is not an issue. After getting 69 percent of serves in play during the season, Nadal has posted marks of 83 percent, 78 percent and 72 percent in Shanghai.

The result is that he has not been broken a single time in three matches. 

While Nadal is not necessarily known for having an elite serve, it is still tough to defend when he does not give opponents a chance at the second try. This accuracy will be key going forward in the next two matches.

Attack Second Serves

Not every player is as good as Nadal while serving, which generally helps the Spanish player on returns. One of his biggest skills over the years is getting after opponents when they are forced to use a second serve.

This was a key factor in Friday's quarterfinal match against Stanislas Wawrinka. The Swiss star won 77 percent of his first serve points but only 50 percent of his second serve points in the loss.

Wawrinka only managed to win one of five of these points in the second set, which Nadal won 6-1.

Of course, this is an area that Nadal failed to take advantage of the last time he faced Djokovic, as the eventual winner took 10 of his 13 points on second serves. Djokovic did not even face a break point in the win.

For Nadal to win this tournament, he will need to utilize his biggest strength against tough opponents.

Finish Opponents When Given the Chance

Nadal's biggest problem in this tournament has been his inability to win games when he has his opponent on the ropes.

While he has done a great job of saving his own break points, he is giving his competitors new life by not winning break points himself. In the last two matches, Nadal has only won 5 of 17 break points.

As a result, the player has needed tiebreaks in both contests, tiring him out and putting him at an unnecessary risk for a loss. 

Although this has not hurt him against weaker opponents, del Potro and Djokovic will certainly provide a tougher challenge and can make him pay.

Nadal will get opportunities for breaks against both players, but he needs to make sure he ends the games when he gets a chance.

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