SHANGHAI (AP) - Novak Djokovic received medical attention during his second-round match at the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday but battled back to secure a place in the quarterfinals. The victory came against Jaume Munar, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, in challenging hot and humid conditions.
The 36-year-old Djokovic briefly lay on the court after dropping the second set, raising concerns about his physical condition. He received treatment from a trainer and appeared to recover sufficiently to dominate the third set, breaking Munar immediately. This win marks a notable milestone, making Djokovic the oldest man to reach the last eight of an ATP Masters 1000 event, surpassing Roger Federer’s previous record set in Shanghai in 2019 by two months.
Djokovic described the match as a “tough day at the office” and “very challenging physically” in a post on X. He is now pursuing a record-extending 41st Masters title and will next face Zizou Bergs of Belgium.
Elsewhere in the tournament, tenth-seeded holger Rune overcame a tight contest against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, winning 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-3.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis