Four-time champion Novak Djokovic came back from one set down in his 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4 win over Jakub Mensik in 2 hours and 19 minutes to reach the semifinal at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Djokovic has kept his hope of his winning the 100th title of his career alive.
Djokovic set up a semifinal against this year’s US Open finalist Taylor Fritz, who beat David Goffin 6-3 6-3.
Mensik saved two break points to hold serve for 4-3 in the first set after just three points against the serve in the first six games. Djokovic broke serve in the match in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead. Mensik earned his first break point after Djokovic missed a break point in the 10th game. The Czech player fired a forehand into the corner to break back in the 10th game. Mensik won the tie-break 7-4 with another powerful forehand that Djokovic returned into the net.
Djokovic converted both break points in the second and sixth games to cruise through the second set 6-1. Mensik rallied from 15-40 down to hold serve at deuce for 2-1, but Djokovic broke Mensik’s next service game to take a 3-2 lead. Djokovic closed out the win with a love hold.
Djokovic improved his seasonal record to 36-8 to move ahead of Andrey Rublev into seventh in the ATP Race to Turin. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is 355 points ahead of ninth placed Alex De Minaur.
“We went toe-to-toe until the last moment. I was fortunate to find great serves in the last game, a couple of aces, that helps. I did not serve that well at the end of the first set when I was serving for it. He managed to turn things around by playing a good tie-break. I stayed collected and started off very well in the second set, I felt that we both had a physical crisis at the beginning of the set. We pushed each other a lot, a lot of long rallies. It was a tough battle, almost two and a half hours”, said Djokovic.
