Novak Djokovic defeated fellow veteran Marin Cilic 7-6 (7 / 4) 6-4 to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday, saying he had to “fire up all engines.”
The 38-year-old Serb is chasing a fifth title that will surpass all previous records in Shanghai, where he was greeted by adoring Chinese fans in cheers as he entered the stadium.
In an ATP Masters 1000 main draw match, Djokovic and Cilic’s combined age, which was 75 years and 139 days, was the oldest between two rivals.
After launching his title bid, Djokovic said, “I did enjoy it, but I also suffered a lot on the court.”
“It was a very close match,” he said. He continued, “He was probably the better player for the first set,” claiming that he needed to “fire up all engines.”
The first set was difficult, with Cilic’s best chance of breaking the 24-time Grand Slam champion coming in the eleventh game.
In the tiebreak, Djokovic appeared to be getting back on his feet, leading 7-2.
In the third game of the second set, the world number five broke the Croat and maintained his composure in the tension-tense 10th game to win with a final ace.
Djokovic claimed that Cilic and him both “performed like we were maybe 15 years younger.”
After playing for the first time since losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semi-finals a month ago, Djokovic said, “We keep challenging each other, as well as the young guys on the tour.”
In the end, “you have to find a way to win,” according to the saying “Age doesn’t matter when you walk out on the court.”
Jannik Sinner, 14 years his junior, defeated Djokovic in the final last year.
On Saturday, Sinner will face German international Daniel Altmaier in a friendly game.
Shelton Out and Fritz Through
Taylor Fritz, the fourth-ranked player, also advanced to the next round but struggled to pass 52nd-ranked Fabian Marozsan 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1).
In the sixth and eighth games, Fritz was broken by the Hungarian, and the American appeared hungry as he struggled to advance.
Read more about Djokovic’s participation in the Shanghai Masters in October.
In the eleventh game of the second set, he repeatedly hit his racket in frustration before missing his chance to defeat Marozsan.
However, he outperformed Marozsan in both the second and third set tiebreaks, wowing the late-night viewers.
He said, “I just told myself to keep fighting and keep working for it,” and ultimately, “I was just really fired up.”
Compatriot Ben Shelton, who had been defeated by 83rd-ranked David Goffin, became the first top-10 seed to be expelled from the game, not to mention being denied entry.
Shelton, 22, defeated the Belgian underdog 6-2, 6-4, to finish in sixth place in the world.
The US Open shoulder injury has been treated for the American.
However, Goffin has proven to be successful in sacking key players, having defeated Alcaraz in Miami in March.
Teenager learner Tien, who lost to Miomir Kecmanovic in the final of the China Open against Sinner on Wednesday, continued his recent excellent form by defeating the Serbian in the second round.
Alcaraz has withdrawn from Shanghai after defeating Fritz to win the Japan Open.
