By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Continuing his quest for his 100th career title, Novak Djokovic rolled into his record 10th Rolex Shanghai Masters quarterfinal.
Photo credit: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty
Novak Djokovic is not only the Grand Slam king—he’s a devoted tree hugger.
Embracing all challenges this week, Djokovic continues to transform the Shanghai stadium court into his garden of growth.
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Djokovic dismissed Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-2 to charge into his record 10th Rolex Shanghai Masters quarterfinal.
Four-time tournament champion Djokovic served 65 percent, won 29 of 33 first-serve points and saved all three break points he faced in a strong performance.
When Djokovic wasn’t torching drives down the line, he was efficient moving forward winning 10 of 12 trips to net.
The 37-year-old Serbian superstar improved to 35-8 on the season, reaching his first hard-court quarterfinal since the Australian Open semifinals in January where he fell to Jannik Sinner.
Djokovic, who has not dropped a set this week, will continue his hunt for history in Shanghai as he plays for a 100th career title this week.
It all started with Djokovic, who replenishes his competitive spirit hiking in nature, hugged the Fortune Tree in his Shanghai resort continuing a tradition—and tapping into the power of nature.
“That fortune tree in the resort where we are staying is a tree that I have hugged and kind of put water on five years ago, so I repeated this little ceremony this year as well, kind of wishing good luck and just paying a tribute to an incredible life of that tree that is, you know, a thousand years plus old,” Djokovic said. “We sometimes forget how the world around us is so powerful and so old, and it carries a lot of wisdom and intelligence and power and energy, and we sometimes lose ourselves in the modern fast-pace life.
"So, a tree like that, it just, you know, I guess, grounds me and puts me in place, and reminds me of, in a way, how small we are, you know, comparing to nature, and how respectful we must be.”
Next up for Djokovic is a quarterfinal date vs. Czechia’s Jakub Mensik, who defeated ninth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
The 19-year-old Mensik scored his fourth consecutive Top-10 win to reach his maiden 1000 quarterfinal and become the youngest quarterfinalist in tournament history.
Djokovic and Mensik have trained together in the past and the veteran praises the teenager's potential.
"We had a training week in Belgrade couple times, which, you know, he came over to play at the Serbia Open as well on clay," Djokovic said of Mensik. "I followed his development, I try to be available to him to help him out with advices and guidance, to his parents as well, they're lovely people.
"So, I'm very thrilled for him that he's doing so well. I always believed that he's got potential to be one of the top players of the world, and he's building that kind of momentum right now.
"He's tall, he's got the big serve, he has got the all-around game, and he defends and moves very well for somebody of his height. And, actually, his physio here, Sascha, was working with me as well in my tennis center, so we got a lot of connections, so to say."
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner smacked seven aces and saved all seven break points beating Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6(1) to score his ATP-best 62nd win this season.
Reigning US Open and Australian Open champion Sinner reached his seventh ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal of the season.
The top-seeded Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev for a semifinal spot in a rematch of the Australian Open final.
Medvedev pumped 10 aces and faced just one break point stopping Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-3.
The 2019 champion Medvedev defeated Tsitsipas for the 10th time in 14 meetings as he aims to win the same title twice for the first time in his career.
"I'm going to bring the fight, I'm going to prepare tactically, mentally, physically," Medvedev said of playing Sinner. "It's going to be a tough match, so hopefully my body feels well, and I'm ready, yeah, to bring the fight and go for it."
Beijing champion Carlos Alcaraz did not drop serve out-dueling Gael Monfils 6-4, 7-5 to avenge his Cincinnati Open loss to the elastic Frenchman last August.
The third-seeded Alcaraz faces Czechia’s Tomas Machac in the quarterfinals with the winner advancing to a semifinal showdown vs. the Sinner-Medvedev winner.
"I'm feeling great. Physically, I have not too many problems, so I'm feeling great," Alcaraz said. "I'm playing great tennis lately, so I have a lot of confidence to go farther in this tournament.
"Obviously lifting the trophy in Beijing, beating Jannik, beating big guys in Beijing helped me a lot, just to come in here with a lot of confidence, just knowing what I have to do here.
"So, right now I'm in quarterfinals, so hopefully keep going and, yeah, I have a lot of confidence to do a really good result here."
Djokovic commanded the court after saving a couple of break points to hold for 3-2.
Whipping his forehand down the line into Safiullin’s backhand wing, Djokovic was pressuring serve.
Safiullin jerked a crosscourt backhand wide to face double-break point in the eighth game. Opening the court, Djokovic zapped a forehand winner breaking for 5-3.
The Olympic gold medal champion cranked a wide serve winner to close the 40-minute opener.
It was a quality set from Safiullin as well, but Djokovic had the answers on pivotal points.
Reading the wide serve, Djokovic spun a forehand return down the line breaking at 15 to start the second set.
The 10-time Australian Open champion cruised through nine of the first 10 points in snatching a 2-0 second-set lead.
Djokovic saved a break point holding for 3-1 then burst through a love break for 4-1.
Continuing his quest for his 100th career championship, Djokovic served out the 73-minute victory at 15.