Novak Djokovic finds groove to down Czech teen Jakub Mensik, reach Shanghai semis
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
SHANGHAI - Novak Djokovic dug out a 6-7(4) 6-1 6-4 win over Czech Jakub Mensik on Friday to advance to the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters, where he will face Taylor Fritz.
The four-time Shanghai champion managed to raise his level after losing the first set on a tiebreak and never looked back as he beat his 19-year-old opponent to enter the semi-finals for a ninth time.
"We went toe-to-toe till the last moment. I was fortunate to really find great serves in the last game, a couple of aces," Djokovic said.
"Jakub is somebody that I've been following the last three, four years...
"We trained at my tennis centre in Belgrade and in Montenegro as well. I could see today why he's one of the best servers we have in the game. He's only 19, so I think the future is very bright for him."
The Serb, who played his first match on the ATP Tour over a year before his opponent was born in September 2005, initially struggled to counter Mensik's serve but found his rhythm and broke for a 5-4 lead in the first set.
However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion allowed his unseeded opponent to hit back instantly and with a foothold in the contest Mensik clinched the tiebreak as Djokovic hit a forehand into the net.
The 37-year-old did well to recover, taking advantage of a string of unforced errors from Mensik to hold serve on either side of an early break as he took a 3-0 lead in the second set.
Mensik, playing in his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, had no answer to the relentless accuracy of Djokovic's forehand and was broken once again as the fourth seed levelled the match at a set apiece.
Djokovic won the first point of the decider with a pin-point forehand at the end of an epic 33-shot rally and ran Mensik ragged with his power and precision. He broke for a 3-2 lead, which ultimately proved decisive despite an apparent knee issue for the Serb late in the match.
The world No. 4 is looking to win a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai, as well as his first ATP Masters 1000 title since his victory in Paris last year.
He will face world No. 7 Fritz in the semi-finals after the American defeated Belgian David Goffin 6-3 6-4 earlier on Friday.
In the other semi-final, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will take on Czech Tomas Machac. REUTERS
