Novak Djokovic has moved closer to the Shanghai Masters title after reaching the semifinals.
Djokovic has struggled with the conditions in Shanghai this year, the Masters 1000 tournament where he has won four titles before and reached the final last year.
The Serbian has not always played his best tennis either, with Djokovic having to fight back in one of his early rounds.
That was not so much the case against Zizou Bergs, but Djokovic still picked some faults in his own game after the match.
Novak Djokovic admits the mistake he made against Zizou Bergs
Djokovic refused a post-match interview in his previous match, but that was not the case after he beat Bergs, 6-3 7-5.
When speaking on court after his win, Djokovic was asked how much of an effort it has taken him to beat Bergs.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion responded by revealing that it has taken an almighty effort, but Djokovic admitted that he was a bit passive in the second set.
“Pretty much everything. I am just trying to stay alive on the court,” said Djokovic. “It was my first encounter with Bergs, a great guy. He has a lot of firepower in his game.
“At times I just tried to play an extra ball in the court and make him miss the ball. That is what happened. I should have closed the match at 5-4, he played a good game, I was a bit too passive. It was very challenging conditions these few weeks for all the players and just trying to stay alive on the court.”
Novak Djokovic says what he thinks about playing Valentin Vacherot
Djokovic now progresses into the semifinals and is just two wins away from winning his first ATP 1000 title since the Paris Masters in 2023.
Standing in his way is someone he has never played before in world number 204 Valentin Vacherot, who has made history at the Shanghai Masters this year.
Although they have never played a competitive match before, Djokovic revealed that he has practiced with the Monegasque before.
“Great for Monaco’s tennis,” added Djokovic. “We have one of the biggest tournaments in our sport in Monaco and I’m really glad for him and his coach, I have known him for many years and trained with him for many years while being based in Monaco.
“Amazing story, I don’t know how many top 10 or top 15 players he has taken out but it is really impressive what he is doing. So we are both going to have a day off and hopefully a good semifinal.”
Despite being impressed by Vacherot’s run, Djokovic will now look to bring it to an end when they play their semifinal match on Saturday, October 11.
If Djokovic beats Vacherot, then he will overtake Taylor Fritz and return to world number four.
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