Novak Djokovic opened his quest for a record-extending fifth Rolex Shanghai Masters title Friday with a hard-fought 7-6 (2), 6-4 win in opposition to Marin Cilic.
With the victory in a single hour and 55 minutes, the fourth-seeded Serbian improved his profession report to 40-6 on the ATP Masters 1000 event in China. He additionally improved to 20-2 in opposition to Croatia’s Cilic.
Djokovic fired 10 aces, saved all 4 break factors and completed with 21 winners and solely 4 unforced errors. He transformed the one service break of the match within the third sport of the second set.
With their mixed ages of 79 years and 139 days, the duel between Djokovic and Cilic marked the oldest males’s main-draw assembly on the ATP Masters 1000 degree since 1990.
“Tons of respect for Marin, all he has achieved and who he’s as an individual,” Djokovic stated. “We get alongside very nicely off the courtroom, we have identified one another for a few years. The final time we performed was three years in the past, so it is nice to see him again enjoying at this degree.”
Djokovic grew to become the primary man to report 40 or extra wins at six totally different ATP Masters 1000 occasions because the format was launched in 1990: Rome (68), Indian Wells (51), Paris (50), Miami (49), Cincinnati (45) and Shanghai (40).
The 24-time Grand Slam winner’s third-round opponent can be German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, who upended No. 25 seed Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-1 in two hours and 51 minutes.
Tiafoe wasn’t the one seeded participant proven the door within the second spherical. Belgium’s David Goffin dumped No. 6 seed Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4 and countryman Zizou Bergs beat No. 11 Casper Ruud of Norway 3-6, 7-5, 4-1. Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot eradicated No. 14 Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Spain’s Jaume Munar took out No. 22 Flavio Cobolli of Italy 7-5, 6-1.
Shelton was enjoying for the primary time since sustaining a left shoulder damage on the U.S. Open in August.
No. 5 Taylor Fritz rallied for a 2-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1) win in opposition to Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan and No. 10 Holger Rune of Denmark was a 7-5, 6-4 winner over Argentina’s Sebastian Baez.
Different seeds safely by way of to the third spherical had been No. 19 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, No. 20 Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, No. 21 Ugo Humbert of France, No. 27 Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, No. 31 Gabriel Diallo of Canada and No. 32 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France.
–Discipline Degree Media