Shanghai, Oct 9 (IANS) Novak Djokovic’s resilience and experience once again came to the fore as he battled past Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday to secure a semi-final berth at the 2025 Shanghai Masters.
Despite not being at his physical best, the 38-year-old Serbian extended his dominance on the ATP Masters 1000 stage, becoming the oldest semi-finalist in Masters 1000 history.
Djokovic, who endured a leg issue and heat-related exhaustion in his fourth-round victory over Jaume Munar, was again made to work hard under testing conditions.
The World No. 5 appeared to be struggling with discomfort in his left foot during the opening set but dug deep to clinch his 80th Masters 1000 semi-final appearance – another record in his illustrious career.
The Serbian looked poised to seal victory when he broke Bergs to lead 5-4 in the second set, but the 26-year-old Belgian, playing his first ATP Head2Head match against Djokovic, showed impressive resolve to immediately break back.
What followed was one of the most thrilling exchanges of the tournament – Djokovic surviving four smashes and a daring volley from Bergs before reclaiming the break in a pulsating rally. This time, he made no mistake serving out the match to claim his milestone win.
“I was just trying to stay alive to be honest on the court,” Djokovic admitted afterward. “My first encounter with Bergs. He’s a great guy. Obviously, a lot of firepower in his game. At times, I just tried to play an extra ball in the court and make him miss the ball, and that’s what happened. I should have closed out the match at 5-4. He played a good game, again I was a little bit too passive.”
Having battled through another gruelling encounter, Djokovic acknowledged the challenge of adapting to the conditions in Shanghai. “Very challenging conditions these days for all the players, and I was just trying to stay alive on the court. I’m glad to overcome this hurdle,” he said.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion is now just two wins away from a record-extending 41st Masters 1000 title, and his first since the 2023 Paris Masters.
Standing between Djokovic and another Shanghai final will be Valentin Vacherot, the Monegasque qualifier who stunned 10th seed Holger Rune 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 earlier in the day.
–IANS
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