Shanghai Masters: Novak Djokovic survives fear of Jakub Mensik and secures place in semi-finals

Novak Djokovic showed his resilience on Friday by defeating an opponent 18 years his junior 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-4 to secure the final spot in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters.

The 37-year-old’s victory over Czech Jakub Mensik came a day after one of his biggest rivals and contemporaries, Rafael Nadal, announced his retirement in November.

The Serb, seeking his 100th singles title in Shanghai, will next face world number seven Taylor Fritz after the American defeated Belgium’s David Goffin 6-3, 6-4 earlier on Friday.

“All in all it was a great fight, I tried my best to win it,” Djokovic said after the match.

Both Djokovic and 65th-ranked Mensik brought tremendous power to the court and their tough rallies brought the stadium into wild excitement.

The first set was closely fought, with Djokovic’s break in the ninth game immediately equalized by Mensik in the next.

The veteran took the lead at the start of the tiebreak, but seemed to lose concentration, allowing the 19-year-old to come from behind and win.

However, the 24-time Grand Slam winner dominated the second set and collapsed in the second and sixth games.

Mensik recovered and increased the pressure again in the third game, but Djokovic managed a decisive break in the fifth game and was crowned winner.

Djokovic called his opponent “one of the best players we have on the tour.”

“He’s only 19 and he’s already playing at such a high level. For someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience, he handles high-pressure situations so well,” he said. “I think the future is very bright for him.”

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published via a syndicated news agency feed – AFP).