Novak has booked his place in the round of 16 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters for the 11th time in his career.
The fourth seed battled past German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, ranked No. 150 in the world, after two hours and 42 minutes of exhausting tennis, winning 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 in the third-round encounter.
“It took a lot of energy in every sense. Physically, it was a very exhausting match, with extreme humidity on the court. I also had a slow start, losing my serve early, which was enough for him to take the first set. Breaking his serve was very tough; reading his serve and even getting close to a break point was nearly impossible until the end of the second set. That’s when I started to find his rhythm and adapt to the pace of his shots. He played fantastically. I was a bit more passive and didn’t feel at my best on the court. But the crowd… they were incredible, lifting me and giving me support, and I’m truly grateful for that in helping me secure the win,” Novak said after the match.
Although Hanfmann entered the main draw through the qualifying rounds, he produced tennis worthy of a top-10 player, challenging Novak from the very start.
The German dominated the opening set with fearless and aggressive play, serving strongly and keeping Novak from finding his rhythm. He converted his third break point in the third game and maintained that lead to take the set 6–4.
The second set saw a more balanced contest, with both players holding serve firmly and trading powerful baseline rallies. Hanfmann continued to serve well, while Novak stayed patient, waiting for his chance. After 11 consecutive holds, the Serbian star raised his level in the crucial 12th game, earning two break points and converting the first to take the set 7–5 and level the match.
In the deciding set, Novak finally took full control. After two physically demanding sets, he broke Hanfmann in the fourth game and never looked back. Playing with renewed confidence and precision on serve, he calmly closed out the match to secure his spot in the next round.
In the round of 16, Novak will face Spain’s Jaume Munar, the world No. 41, who defeated Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 2–1 in the third round.
The two have met only once before, seven years ago in the second round of Roland Garros, with Novak coming out on top.
Photo: Profimedia
