Novak Djokovic admitted he was “just trying to stay alive” after battling through brutal heat and humidity to book his place in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
The 38-year-old Serbian star defeated Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5, extending his record as the oldest player ever to reach a Masters 1000 semi-final — the 80th time he has advanced to that stage in his career.
Djokovic, who experienced illness in earlier rounds and vomited during his third-round win over Yannick Hanfmann, once again had to contend with temperatures exceeding 35°C and 80% humidity on China’s east coast.
“It’s very challenging conditions for all the players this week,” Djokovic said after the match. “I’m glad to overcome this hurdle.”
After dominating the opening set, Djokovic appeared to be cruising towards victory before Bergs broke him while serving for the match. However, the Belgian’s aggressive style led to 23 unforced errors, compared to just eight from the 24-time Grand Slam winner.
“I should have closed out the match at 5-4 but I was too passive,” Djokovic reflected. “He has a lot of firepower in his game. At times I just tried to play an extra ball on the court to make him miss.”
Djokovic, who is aiming to claim a fifth Shanghai Masters title, will face Valentin Vacherot in the semi-finals as he continues his pursuit of another major milestone in his illustrious career.
