Djokovic walked off the ledge, but ended up beating Hanfmann at the Shanghai Masters 1000

In one Shanghai hot and suffocating, Novak Djokovic (4th) his ideas became damp and his precision became clouded. However, there is something that defines legends: the passion with which they play this sport. At 38 years old and physically diminished, he came back in a game that seemed more than compromised against Yannick Hanfmann (159th) and won 4-6, 7-5 and 6-3 in 2h42m, for the third round. Thus, he avoided what could have been, by ranking, the worst defeat in a tournament of this category.

The German, who intended to enter history with the force of a hurricane, he blurred the Belgrade native during the first set. So much so that he made him feel the rigor of his tennis: he read the opposing serves, gave away points (several drops followed by lobs), added many winning shots and took care of wearing him down.

The plan seemed (and looked) perfect. I had never been so close to such a big crash as the Chinese city. But from saying to doing there is a long way. And from partial triumph to definitive success, too. Starting at the top of the scoreboard is not the same as achieving victory. In that sense, he added some unforced errors at key moments and it began to get complicated.

Although he is a scholar in physical matters and the need to take care of himself, the truth is that the document does not lie. And Nole was seen lacking energy, as if everything cost him twice as much. In any case, he showed that he never gives up, even when his legs tell him enough. In fact, he took a breath, concentrated on breathing and needed a point – not just any one, since it was the set point of the second set – to recover and turn the score around.

With the index finger of his left hand in his ear, he lifted the audience from the stands, asked them for more encouragement, and changed the plot of the film. Since then, he improved on the return, found good shots and achieved a vital break to settle the duel.

Thanks to this victory, the Serbian will face Jaume Munar (40th) in the round of 16, who beat Yoshihito Nishioka (157th) 7-6, 5-7 and 6-1. The history between the two is 1-0 for the Balkan, although that clash was at Roland Garros 2018.

All the action of the Shanghai Masters 1000 can be followed, live and exclusively, on Disney+ Premium Plan.