Roger Federer teases Novak Djokovic as ‘old man’ as pair reunite at Shanghai Masters 2024
Novak Djokovic came from a set down to deny teen Jakob Mensik 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 to reach the Shanghai Masters semifinals.
“We went toe-to-toe until the last moment,” said the Djokovic to the ATP. “I was fortunate to find great serves in the last game, a couple of aces, that helps. I didn’t 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 tiebreak.
“I stayed collected and started off very well in the second, 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. A tough battle, almost two and a half hours.”
The 19-year-old Mensik was appearing in his first ATP Masters quarterfinal and was helped by 17 aces.
“He is only 19, the future is very bright for him. He knows that I am always there for him, whatever he needs,” Djokovic said of the Czech.
“Jakub is somebody that I have been following for the last three or four years, ever since he played the finals of junior Australian Open. We like playing each other, we raise the level when we face each other. We’ve played a lot of practice sets and it’s always fun.”
The 4-time champion Djokovic did have a wobble with his left knee late in the match – his right knee had the surgery in June. Saturday in the semifinals he’ll face Taylor Fritz who eased past David Goffin 6-3, 6-3.
Djokovic has won all nine meetings with Fritz but they haven’t played since Australia. Fritz has been a much better player since.
In the first semifinal, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner collides with rising Czech Tomas Machac. Machac will try to beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in back-to-back matches and then perhaps beat Djokovic in the final!
“I will be playing right now against the No. 1 in the world, he’s playing unbelievable tennis, especially on hard court,” Machac said of Sinner. “It’s the best tennis what I saw today, for sure, with Medvedev, he was playing unbelievable. But I’m really looking forward to the challenge, so I will enjoy it.”
