Djokovic overcomes the fear, reaches the semi-finals in Shanghai and keeps the dream of a 100th title alive

Novak Djokovic defeats Jakub Mensik to reach the semifinals of the ATP Shanghai Masters.

Novak Djokovic overcame a tough challenge in the quarterfinals of the Rolex Shanghai Masters, fighting from a set down against #NextGenATP star Jakub Mensik. The 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 victory keeps Djokovic on course for his 100th tour-level title and marks his ninth appearance in the semifinals of the event.

Djokovic’s resilience shines after a slow start

The four-time champion struggled at first, losing a close first set in a tiebreak against 19-year-old Mensik. Looking back on the match, Djokovic said: “We were neck and neck until the last moment. I was lucky to find great serves in the last game, a few aces, that helps. At the end of the first set, when I served for it, I didn’t serve that well. He managed to turn things around by playing a good tiebreak.”

Djokovic quickly regained control in the second set and delivered a near-flawless performance, winning 92% of his first serve points. “I stayed composed and started very well in the second round [set]. We both had a physical crisis at the beginning of the set. We pushed each other a lot, lots of long rallies. [It was] “A tough fight, almost two and a half hours,” Djokovic added.

The dominant third set secures victory

Aiming to become the third-oldest ATP Masters 1000 semifinalist in history, the 37-year-old took control in the third set and ultimately finished the match in two hours and 19 minutes. Djokovic now reaches his record-breaking 77th Masters 1000 semifinal, where he will face seventh seed Taylor Fritz, who secured a 6-3, 6-4 win over David Goffin.

Praise for Mensik’s potential

Despite the defeat, Djokovic was full of praise for Mensik’s performance, particularly his powerful serve. “He hit 17 aces in the match. He is only 19, the future is very bright for him. He knows that I am always there for him, no matter what he needs,” commented Djokovic. The Serb also mentioned their shared history: “Jakub is someone I have been following for the last three or four years since he played the final of the Junior Australian Open. We like playing against each other, we raise the level when we compete against each other.”

Chasing history and Turin qualification

The win increases Djokovic’s season record to 36-8 and helps him overtake Andrey Rublev for seventh place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. A seven-time Nitto ATP Finals champion, Djokovic is now 355 points ahead of Alex de Minaur, who is in ninth place.

Mensik, meanwhile, made a strong impression in his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final after defeating world No. 6 Andrey Rublev and No. 9 Grigor Dimitrov. He remains in fourth place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, en route to his Next Gen Finals debut.