Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and currently the world No. 1, shared his reflections following a challenging third-round victory over Germany`s Yannick Hanfmann at the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic secured the win with a score of 4/6, 7/5, 6/3.
“It was a great battle,” Djokovic stated. “Yannick certainly deserves praise and applause for his performance. He came very close to winning and, in my opinion, he dominated the court for most of the match – the entire first set and a significant portion of the second. I had to give absolutely everything to stay in the game and literally `survive,` and I managed to do that.”
He added that his strategy began to shift during the crucial second set. “In the latter half of the second set, I started to handle his serve better. He was playing incredibly fast, constantly making me feel uncomfortable whenever the ball was on his side of the court. I am proud that I was able to overcome such a difficult challenge.”
Djokovic also extended his gratitude to the local supporters, acknowledging their enthusiastic presence. “I also want to thank the Chinese fans for their support – their energy today was simply fantastic,” he concluded.
Marcus Prine