Novak Djokovic had to joust with discomfort and illness as he saw off Yannick Hanfmann coming from a set down to do it 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 at the Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic was in danger throughout as he saw off the German qualifier as the record four-time champion was outplayed throughout. But he dug deep late on with the crowd firmly on his side as he won through in two hours and 45 minutes. His second longest match in 2025. He now faces Jaume Munar in the fourth round.
The first set in particular saw Djokovic firmly on upset watch with Hanfmann's variety adding to the illness causing him major problems. Djokovic appeared to vomit during a changeover and began shortening the points to regain control. He hit 33 winners including 13 aces, he couldn't hold off Djokovic.
Djokovic levelled from there with the crowd roaring and from there he secured an early break in the decider and powered through to victory. He is now up to 2-0 in his Head-to-Head record. Facing a third break point in the third game, Djokovic saw Hanfmann mishit forehand floated over his head as his luck did not come good. Djokovic is now into the Last 16 for the 11th time in as many appearances.
“It's the same for every player out on the court, but it's brutal,” Djokovic said. “It's brutal when you have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they're playing during the day with heat, with sun, it's even more brutal.
“For me, biologically it's a bit more challenging to deal with it. But I had to really weather the storm today. Yannick played an incredible match from the beginning.”
Jannik Sinner ends the day with Valentin Vacherot the other winner seeing off Tomas Machac who retired midway through the second set once again.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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