Novak has booked his place within the spherical of 16 on the Rolex Shanghai Masters for the eleventh time in his profession.
The fourth seed battled previous German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, ranked No. 150 on the earth, after two hours and 42 minutes of exhausting tennis, profitable 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 within the third-round encounter.
“It took numerous power in each sense. Bodily, it was a really exhausting match, with excessive humidity on the court docket. I additionally had a gradual begin, shedding my serve early, which was sufficient for him to take the primary set. Breaking his serve was very powerful; studying his serve and even getting near a break level was almost not possible till the tip of the second set. That’s after I began to seek out his rhythm and adapt to the tempo of his photographs. He performed fantastically. I used to be a bit extra passive and didn’t really feel at my finest on the court docket. However the crowd… they have been unbelievable, lifting me and giving me help, and I’m actually grateful for that in serving to me safe the win,” Novak stated after the match.
Though Hanfmann entered the primary draw via the qualifying rounds, he produced tennis worthy of a top-10 participant, difficult Novak from the very begin.
The German dominated the opening set with fearless and aggressive play, serving strongly and holding Novak from discovering his rhythm. He transformed his third break level within the third recreation and maintained that result in take the set 6–4.
The second set noticed a extra balanced contest, with each gamers holding serve firmly and buying and selling highly effective baseline rallies. Hanfmann continued to serve properly, whereas Novak stayed affected person, ready for his probability. After 11 consecutive holds, the Serbian star raised his degree within the essential twelfth recreation, incomes two break factors and changing the primary to take the set 7–5 and degree the match.
Within the deciding set, Novak lastly took full management. After two bodily demanding units, he broke Hanfmann within the fourth recreation and by no means regarded again. Taking part in with renewed confidence and precision on serve, he calmly closed out the match to safe his spot within the subsequent spherical.
Within the spherical of 16, Novak will face Spain’s Jaume Munar, the world No. 41, who defeated Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 2–1 within the third spherical.
The 2 have met solely as soon as earlier than, seven years in the past within the second spherical of Roland Garros, with Novak popping out on prime.
Picture: Profimedia
