Match reaction Djokovic’s left knee: “I already have problems with my right knee”
The Serbian assesses knee pain after defeating Mencic in the Shanghai quarter-finals
October 11, 2024
Hector Retamal/Getty Images
Novak Djokovic suffered pain in his left knee en route to reaching his ninth semi-final at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. By ATP Staff
Novak Djokovic mustered some gutsy tennis skills on Friday night to power his way past NextGenATP star Jakub Mencic to book his place in the ninth semi-final at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
However, the scare posed by the 19-year-old, who won the first set against the four-time record champion, was not the only scare Djokovic suffered in the match.
“It was a strange feeling [during] “We had those two points in that match, but after that things went well,” said Djokovic, who pulled his left knee in the sixth game of the deciding set. “I hope I won’t have any problems when the weather cools down, because I’m already having problems with my right knee, so it won’t be great. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.”
Sealed with ace 😘
The moment @DjokerNole He became the third oldest man to reach the ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals after Federer 🙌@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/glxPE8KpU9
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 11, 2024
The 37-year-old underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee after withdrawing from the quarter-finals of Roland Garros in June. Djokovic made a miraculous recovery to reach the Wimbledon final just three weeks later, and has been competing with a soft knee brace ever since.
Djokovic, who is seeking to extend his record with his fifth title in Shanghai, said: “China has always been a happy place, the place where I played my best tennis throughout my career.” “These kind of games, against teenagers, are what really motivates me, keeps me going, makes me dig deep. To show the world that I still have that in my feet, that I can still go the distance with the guys.
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After facing two exciting Next Generation ATP favorites in Alex Michelsen, whom he defeated 7-6 (3), 7-6 (9), and Mencic, Djokovic will face seventh seed Taylor Fritz on Saturday for a spot in the championship match. Now that he has reached his 77th ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, the No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings feels as though the American will pose a similar threat to what he has already faced this week in China.
“I’ve been challenged before [Alex] Michelsen in the first round and today [in] Djokovic, who beat Mencic 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4, said the matches are difficult with big servers. “I will face a strong opponent tomorrow, Fritz, so I should be ready for another tough match.
“[It is] Fast conditions, if you serve well that’s a very big plus. Hopefully I’ll be fresh, and now we get into the bottom four for the last two games of the tournament. Now is the right time for me to try to move up, and hopefully I can get a chance to qualify for the finals.
After coming through in four sets in the quarter-finals of this year’s Australian Open, Djokovic improved to 9-0 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series with Fritz, although he will not rest after seeing the explosive 26-year-old reach his debut. Grand Slam final at the US Open last month.
