By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, October 11, 2024
Novak Djokovic scored a 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 triumph over talented teen Jakub Mensik becoming the third-oldest man to reach a Masters 1000 semifinal in Shanghai.
Photo credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty
Embracing the twists and turns of his 21-year career infuses Novak Djokovic with a sensitivity for starts and stops.
The Grand Slam king didn’t flinch at the finish line today.
More: Rafael Nadal Announces Retirement from Tennis
Slashing successive aces, Djokovic closed a quality 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 triumph over talented teen Jakub Mensik in style to reach the Rolex Shanghai Masters semifinals.
The 37-year-old Serbian superstar played cleaner tennis and showed more versatility on second serve than his explosive 19-year-old opponent in a historic victory.
Despite an 18-year age gap, Djokovic showed staying power. Djokovic looked fresher and fitter in the latter stages than the youngest quarterfinalist in tournament history, though the fourth seed did tug on his leg late in the final set.
"It means more because I don't get many opportunities," said Djokovic after reaching his ninth Shanghai semifinal in 10 appearances. I mean, I have a selective schedule, so, and I haven't played at my highest level throughout this year, except maybe few occasions, Wimbledon, Olympics, and so forth.
"But China has been always a happy place, a place where I really played my best tennis throughout my career. So, you know, these kind of matches, against teenagers, (laughing) it's something that really motivates me, you know, keeps me going, and pushes me to really dig deep, and to show to the world that I still got it, you know, in my legs, can still go the distance with the young guys. So, I'm super glad that I managed to win this very challenging match."
Djokovic battled into his record-extending 78th ATP Masters 1000 semfinal becoming the third oldest man to reach a Masters semifinal after rival Roger Federer at the 2019 Indian Wells and Miami.
The four-time Shanghai champion improved to 9-1 in Rolex Shanghai Masters quarterfinals.
Continuing his quest to capture his 100th career championship, including a record-extending 41st ATP Masters 1000 crown, Djokovic will take on Taylor Fritz for a spot in the final.
Earlier, Fritz blitzed David Goffin 6-3, 6-4 in Friday’s first quarterfinal.
The seventh-seeded Fritz torched 10 aces and saved three of four break points in a one hour, 22-minute victory.
“I think my serve's always been a huge part of my game,” Fritz said. “It's always been, you know, one of the best, if not the best part of my game. But I think in general this year, this whole year, I have felt like I've been in a better rhythm with my serve.
“There's been times where it hasn't felt maybe as good as I would like it to, but yeah, especially in the last match and then this match, even more so in the second set of this match, yeah, I feel like I'm serving a good percentage and hitting spots very well.”
Fritz, who advanced to his fifth ATP Masters 1000 semifinal and second of the season after Madrid, will need to serve with authority to break through and beat Djokovic for the first time.
The US Open finalist carries an ignominious 0-9 lifetime record against the Grand Slam king into the semifinals with all nine defeats coming in either Grand Slam or Masters play. In their most recent meeting, Djokovic fended off Fritz 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the Australian Open quarterfinals last January.
Despite the history of futility against the former No. 1, Fritz said he’s excited for this semifinal showdown.
“We played a lot of times, and I've never gotten him, so I'm really, really just waiting for that, you know, excited for the chance, and waiting for that time when, you know, maybe I can get a first win on him,” Fritz said. “So, that is something I, you know, I would be really excited about. Obviously, incredibly tough. I think, it could be 0-10, but I think it's 0-9 (smiling), but, you know, hopefully one of these times I'm due, because I'm only getting better and better and, yeah, I'm excited at the opportunity to play him if it's him.”
An opportunistic Djokovic beat back a strong challenge from sometime practice partner Mensik with his ball-control skills, versatility and superior second serve. Djokovic drilled seven aces against one double fault and faced just one break point in a two hour, 19-minute victory.
Mensik missed a shot off a net-cord ball to face a second break point in the seventh game. He saved it with a heavy wide serve, eventually holding for 4-3.
Two games later, Djokovic tightened the screws again. Djokovic laced the baseline with a backhand before crashing a forehand off the top of the tape. The ball dribbled over giving the Grand Slam king another break point.
When Mensik sailed a forehand well long, Djokovic walked to his court-side seat with the key break and a 5-4 lead in hand after 39 minutes of play.
Serving for the set, Djokovic went up 30-15, but Mensik hammered is way back into the game and drew the error breaking right back to level after 10 games.
The teenager opened the tiebreaker with a double fault off the tape to cde the mini break as Djokovic jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Winning a backhand-to-backhand exchange, Mensiki regained the mini break to even at 3-all.
An off-balance Djokovic tapped a double-fault into net as Mensik went up 4-3 only to paste a mid-court forehand sitter right into the net to give back the mini break.
The pace and depth of Mensik’s drives rattled out successive forehand errors from Djokovic, including a netted forehand, as the teenager from Czechia won seven of the last eight points to snatch the 59-minute opening set.
Djokovic, who had won 13 of his last 14 Masters 1000 tiebreakers, betrayed his own cause with four unforced errors at the end of the breaker.
Lengthening rallies to start the second set, Djokovic dabbed a drop shot to draw the error and break for a 2-0 second-set lead.
The Olympic gold-medal champion won eight of his first nine points on serve in the set stretching his lead to 3-0.
Repelling everything Mensik threw at him, Djokovic broke again extending his lead to 5-1.
A calm Djokovic served out the second set to force a decider after 90 minutes.
The fourth seed dropped just four points on serve breezing through the second set.
A stubborn Mensik dug in to deny two break points, holding for a 2-1 third-set lead.
Relentless pressure from the former No. 1 tested the teenager’s legs. Djokovic banged out the break for a 3-2 third-set lead.
One point of concern came as Djokovic pause to stretch his leg and test his surgically-repaired knee as he consolidated the break for 4-2.
Still, Djokovic leaped for a beautiful high backhand volley winner—he won 12 of 15 trips to net today—in a graceful spin that would surely make his tennis hero, Pete Sampras, proud.
Tested at deuce in the ninth game, Mensik showed net skills hitting a fine stretch forehand volley that helped him work through a tense hold for 4-5 and force the former No. 1 to serve it out.
Showing no stumble at the finish line, Djokovic slashed successive aces to close a quality win in two hours, 19 minutes.
The 37-year-old superstar gave his talented 19-year-old opponent a warm embrace at net.
"Third set, I had a lot of opportunities in his service games, but, you know, his serve is tremendous, so much pace and power and precision, very difficult to play him," Djokovic said of Mensik. "I know him for three, four years, I've been following his rise through the rankings, his development. He's a nice guy, super talented player, great prospect.
"He's got a bright future, for sure, if he keeps going. He's got good people around him, his physiotherapist used to be my physiotherapist, Sascha."
Djokovic now stands two match wins from the century championship mark as he continues his quest to become the third man to win 100 ATP titles.
Afterward, Djokovic paid tribute to Big 3 rival Rafael Nadal, who announced yesterday he will retire after next month's Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga, Spain.
"I posted on Instagram, I meant every word," Djokovic said referring to his social media praise of Nadal. "He's been my greatest rival. The rivalry I had with him has impacted me the most in my career by far.
"We knew that that moment was coming sooner rather than later. But it's still a shock. When it came officially also for Roger a few years ago as well when he announced his retirement, and Andy as well this year.
"It's a bit overwhelming for me, to be honest, I don't know what to make out of it. I still enjoy competing, but a big part of me left with them. So it's a tough news for tennis world, for sports world. Rafa is an inspiration for millions of children around the world so he can be very proud of his career."