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Top-seeded Novak Djokovic narrowly avoided an upset at the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, admitting he was near defeat (“hanging by a rope”) before overcoming qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in a tough three-set battle () to secure his spot in the last 16.
The 38-year-old Serb, aiming for a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai, was pushed to his limits by the world number 150 in a match that stretched late into the humid evening.
Djokovic opened brightly, firing a pair of aces to the crowd’s delight, but Hanfmann quickly found his rhythm and broke early in the third game. The German maintained his composure to seal the first set, leaving the top seed under real pressure.
“I was outplayed by a better player for a set and a half — I was just hanging by a rope to stay in the match,” Djokovic admitted afterwards.
The second set proved a tense battle, with both players trading long rallies until Hanfmann faltered in the 12th game with a flurry of errors, allowing Djokovic to level the match.
With temperatures still hovering around 28°C at 9 pm, the 24-time Grand Slam champion finally broke through in the fourth game of the decider as Hanfmann’s accuracy waned. Spurred on by a packed crowd, Djokovic held firm to close out the victory after his opponent sent a forehand long.
“I had to dig in really, really deep to come out of this as the winner,” Djokovic said. “The crowd’s energy really pulled me through tonight.”
Elsewhere, world number four Taylor Fritz became the highest-ranked casualty of the tournament so far, falling 6-4, 7-5 to France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The big-serving 22-year-old, ranked 37th, dominated with his booming serve and powerful groundstrokes, sealing the win with two final aces.
“It was really tough—very humid,” Mpetshi Perricard said after the match. “At 5-5 in the second set, I thought I was dying on court,” he joked.
The Frenchman now faces 11th seed Holger Rune of Denmark, who dispatched compatriot Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4 to advance.
