Day seven at the 2025 Shanghai Rolex Masters delivered another night of comebacks and cramping as the tournament’s bottom half produced four brutal Round of 16 battles.
Novak Djokovic once again defied his body to scrape through, Holger Rune fought fire with fire to subdue Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and qualifier Valentin Vacherot continued his fairytale run with another late-night win.
The day began with Zizou Bergs saving match points to edge Gabriel Diallo in a final-set tiebreak and ended close to 1 a.m. as Vacherot became the first Monegasque player ever to reach a Masters 1000 quarterfinal.
Djokovic’s physical struggles, including vomiting, limping, and an ankle problem, didn’t stop him from finding a way past Jaume Munar to record his 11th Shanghai quarter-final.
With Sinner, Zverev, and Fritz all gone, Djokovic, De Minaur and Musetti find themselves as the only top 10 players remaining. However, judging by the way this tournament has unfolded, it remains wide open.
Day Six Shanghai Masters 2025 Round of 16 Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Zizou Bergs | Gabriel Diallo (21) | 3-6 7-5 7-6(8) |
| Novak Djokovic (4) | Jaume Munar | 6-3 5-7 6-2 |
| Holger Rune (10) | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (32) | 6-4 6-7(9) 6-3 |
| Valentin Vacherot (Q) | Tallon Griekspoor (27) | 4-6 7-6(1) 6-4 |
Key Matches
Holger Rune def. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-3
Tenth seed Holger Rune edged closer to his second ATP Masters 1000 title, outlasting big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a 2-hour, 30-minute battle.
The Dane, who won his lone Masters 1000 crown in Paris 2022, dealt well with Perricard’s serve, breaking in the first game of the decider and never allowing the Frenchman any real inroads to break back.
Perricard employed a come-forward style, which worked well for him, so it will be interesting to see if he maintains that tactic during the European indoor swing and he needs more strings to his bow other than just the serve.
Novak Djokovic def. Jaume Munar 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
Novak Djokovic battled through physical challenges – left ankle pain, humidity exceeding 82%, and courtside vomiting to defeat Jaume Munar in a gruelling 2-hour, 40-minute clash.
Djoker looks like he’s got nothing left in the tank, but still finds a way to get it done. Some fans say he’s playing possum and faking the issues, but whatever the case, the guy is one of the best ever at finding a way to win matches.
This one had multiple medical timeouts and collapsing after dropping the second set, but he capitalised on a pivotal Munar error (a missed smash at 0-0, 40/15 in the third) to break serve and dominate the decider from there on.
Valentin Vacherot def. Tallon Griekspoor 4-6 7-6(1) 6-4
Qualifier Valentin Vacherot became the first Monegasque player to reach a tour-level quarterfinal, defeating 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 in a 2-hour, 22-minute battle that concluded just before 1 a.m. local time.
Vacherot has skyrocketed up the rankings, and he played very clutch today, saving 6 break points at 4-6, 5-5 (0-40) with big serving and a booming backhand down the line winner. I’ve only ever seen him play once or twice, when he secured a wildcard into his local tournament in Monte Carlo. However, since he returned from the injury he sustained in the Wimbledon qualifiers last year, he has bagged several top-50 wins and is now into the last eight at a Masters 1000.
Highlights
Shanghai Masters 2025 Day 8 Round of 16 Matches
- Learner Tien vs Daniil Medvedev (16)
- Nuno Borges vs Alex de Minaur (7)
- Arthur Rinderknech vs Jiri Lehecka (15)
- Felix Auger-Aliassime (12) vs Lorenzo Musetti (8)
