Defending Shanghai champion Roger Federer had his hands full with Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Russian was coming in hot after winning Tokyo for his third title of 2018.

He showed Federer what he was capable of across a three-set saga:

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But in the end, it was the world No. 2 who prevailed, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. As always, Federer got by with a little help from his many fans:

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The road to title defense doesn't get any easier for the 37-year-old as he faces Roberto Bautista Agut on Wednesday.

Federer's fans
help him overcome
red-hot Medvedev

Federer's fans help him overcome red-hot Medvedev

This Week on Tennis Channel Plus 10/8

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev headline the ATP Rolex Shanghai Masters. Watch live coverage from 5 courts on Tennis Channel PLUS beginning Saturday 10/6 at 12:00am ET.

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