Shanghai, October 8(HS): Novak Djokovic showed tremendous grit and determination as he overcame fatigue and an ankle injury to defeat Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 on Tuesday, securing his place in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.

With this victory, the 38-year-old Serbian star continues his quest for a record-extending fifth Shanghai Masters title, at a tournament where many top-seeded players have already exited.

In the deciding set, Djokovic appeared visibly weary and in pain, raising concerns about whether he would be able to complete the match. However, he dug deep, breaking Munar’s serve twice to seal a hard-fought win.

After the match, Djokovic greeted the packed Chinese crowd with a heartfelt “Thank you, thank you, I love you!” before quickly leaving the court.The 24-time Grand Slam champion made a strong start, breaking serve in the fourth game of the first set.

However, he soon required a medical timeout after slipping while chasing a ball at the net and tweaking his left ankle.

Following treatment, Djokovic continued and successfully held his next service game.In the second set, the Serbian sought medical attention again as signs of fatigue became more evident. The 41st-ranked Munar capitalized on Djokovic’s error in the 12th game to take the set 7-5.

At one point, Djokovic collapsed on the court and lay there for several moments before getting up with help from his team. Displaying his trademark resilience, he stormed back in the third set, breaking in the first and seventh games to clinch the victory and thrill the spectators.

Djokovic now stands as the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament, fueling hopes of another title run in Shanghai.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar