Novak Djokovic made history at the Shanghai Masters by becoming the first player to reach 10 quarter-finals at the tournament. The 37-year-old tennis icon secured his spot by defeating Roman Safiullin in straight sets on Wednesday.
Djokovic, a four-time champion in Shanghai, displayed exceptional form from the outset. He opened the match with a stunning drop shot near the net, followed by a powerful ace to take the first set 6-3. Maintaining his momentum, Djokovic dominated the second set, winning 6-2 as Safiullin struggled to counter his relentless play.
This victory marks Djokovic's 37th win at the Shanghai Masters, further cementing his record and bringing him closer to his ambitious goal of securing a 100th tour-level title. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has impressively not dropped a single set in Shanghai so far.
Looking ahead, Djokovic is set to face Czech teenager Jakub Mensik for a place in the final four. Reflecting on his performance, Djokovic shared, \"Very close to ten (out of ten), I think both last night's match and tonight, have been maybe some of the best matches I've played in a while. So I'm just enjoying myself on the court. When you play well, obviously when you feel good, you know, there's a lot of joy of striking a tennis ball on the court. So these kinds of matches, these kind of sensations that I have on the court are one of the greatest reasons why I still keep on playing, keep on competing, because I really…I believe I can play on a very high level now.\"
He also praised the local supporters, adding, \"It's a matter of keeping that consistency and also having a good time off the court. You know, the Chinese fans are incredible. I mean, such passion and devotion to their favorite players. And this tournament has over the years been remarkable.\"
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Djokovic beats Safiullin in Shanghai to move closer to 100th ATP title
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