In Shanghai, Novak Djokovic demonstrated his remarkable resilience, overcoming both fatigue and high humidity to secure a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 victory against Jaume Munar at the Shanghai Masters. The match, played on Tuesday, proved to be a true test for the Serbian tennis star.
After an exhausting rally that saw him lose the second set with a wide forehand, Djokovic collapsed onto the court, lying on his back with his forearm over his eyes for several moments. He then slowly sat up, resting his head between his knees, before a trainer helped him back to his chair.
Medical attention was provided to him on court before the start of the decisive third set. Despite this, Djokovic immediately broke Munar`s serve, capitalizing on his opponent`s missed easy overhead shot when leading 40-15.
The 38-year-old Djokovic chose not to conduct the traditional on-court interview following the match but shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter): “Tough day at the office. Very challenging physically.”
This win marks Djokovic as the oldest player to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP Masters 1000 event, surpassing Roger Federer`s record by two months, which Federer set in Shanghai in 2019.
Djokovic continues his pursuit of a record-extending 41st Masters title.
His next opponent will be Zizou Bergs of Belgium.
Tenth-seeded Holger Rune also navigated a challenging encounter, defeating the big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-3.
