Novak Djokovic overcame exhaustion and an ankle injury scare to secure a hard-fought victory over Spain’s Jaume Munar, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old Serb, who is aiming for a record-extending fifth title in the Chinese financial hub, showed remarkable resilience, especially as several other top seeds have already withdrawn or been eliminated.
Djokovic appeared close to quitting during the deciding set but summoned the energy to break his decade-younger opponent twice, sealing the win. Before leaving the court, he emotionally thanked the crowd in Chinese, shouting, “Thank you, thank you everyone, I love you!”
Despite the oppressive 84% humidity, Djokovic started strong, breaking in the fourth game. However, trouble soon followed when he injured his left ankle rushing to the net, forcing a medical timeout. Though grimacing in pain, he returned to hold serve in the fifth game.
He needed further treatment during the second set, showing clear signs of fatigue—often crouching between rallies and even vomiting on court. The fervent support from Serbian-flag-waving fans fueled him, but Munar broke in the 12th game of the second set after an unforced error by Djokovic.
An agonized Djokovic collapsed to the court, chest heaving, as medical staff rushed to assist. Yet, the champion’s determination prevailed as he mounted an impressive comeback in the third set, breaking in the first and seventh games to raucous applause.
Djokovic is now the oldest player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal and stands as the highest-ranked player remaining in Shanghai. World number one Carlos Alcaraz withdrew to rest, while second to fourth seeds Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz have all been eliminated.
The tournament has been plagued by extreme weather conditions, with humidity and temperatures soaring above 30°C. Sinner retired on Sunday due to severe cramps, and fellow top-15 player Holger Rune, who also struggled with the heat, called for tennis authorities to implement a heat policy for such events.
Rune advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3.
Djokovic’s next opponent will be Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, ranked 44th, who edged past Canada’s Gabriel Diallo in a tense three-set thriller, winning 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-8).
AFP
