Neither Jaume Munar, a spirited opponent, nor an early injury scare and the dramatic weather conditions they played under halted 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic from securing his spot at the Rolex Shanghai Masters quarterfinals on Tuesday after what he described on social media as a “tough day at the office.”
The 38-year-old Serbian sealed a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 victory over an adversary 10 years his junior after a gruelling two-hour, 40-minute match, becoming the oldest ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinalist in history.
Pushed to the limit and beyond, Djokovic’s experience and mental strength were pivotal in the face of adversity, as he bounced back with power and class, embodying his trademark resilience to its fullest extent.
In the first set, the former world number one experienced an issue in his left ankle, receiving treatment on his leg during medical time-outs.
The Belgrade-born converted the break in the fourth game and held, opening a solid 4-1 advantage on his way to pocketing the opening set 6-3 in 44 minutes.
An edgy 74-minute second set was particularly challenging for the four-time champion.
They went with serves until the Spaniard took the break in the 12th game, wrapping up 7-5 against a physically exhausted rival, who collapsed to the floor after a lengthy rally.
Due to the suffocating heat and high levels of humidity, the No. 1 Serbian felt unwell, throwing up courtside, and receiving medical treatment multiple times.
During changeovers, he also used ice towels around his neck, looking to alleviate the physical distress.
With the scoreline even at one set apiece, the world No. 5 reagrouped and persisted, shifting momentum with an early break, making a commanding start to the decisive set.
Clinically on the forehand, he damaged the world No. 41, marching to dictate play, securing a double break in the seventh game before closing out 6-2 in 43 minutes.
After giving his all on the court, Djokovic skipped courtside and post-match interviews due to sickness to focus on his health and recovery process ahead of his 11th quarterfinal in Shanghai.
On Thrusday, the Olympic gold medalist will face Belgian Zizou Bergs, who fought back from a set down to topple 31st seed Gabriel Diallo 3-6 7-5, 7-6(8), saving two match points en route to his first quarterfinal at the Masters 1000 level.
The prestigious venue has been in the spotlight due to a string of retirements during the first week of action (including defending champion Jannik Sinner), with the players challenged not just by their adversaries, but also by the brutal weather conditions registered in Shanghai.
Dane Holger Rune was vocal after his match against the 32nd seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, which the former won 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-3, reaching the last eight for the first time at the tournament.
“It’s brutal when you have over 80 percent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with the heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal,” stressed Rune.
The 10th seed will square off against Monegasque qualifier Valentin Vacherot, who made it through his maiden career Masters 1000 quarterfinal by taking down Dutch Tallon Griekspoor 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4.
The 26-year-old ranked No. 204 is on an impressive run in China, stunning 14th seed Alexander Bublik, 20th seed Tomas Machac, and 27th seed Griekspoor during his campaign.
“It means everything,” Vacherot expressed. “I don’t think I could really realize what I was doing this whole week, and it kind of all hit me when I just won this match. I was just happy this whole week, but not through the roof, and this one is unbelievable.”