Fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic battled past a fiery Zizou Bergs 6-3 7-5 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters for the 10th time, setting up a clash with surprise package and world number 204 Valentin Vacherot.
In difficult conditions, Djokovic had to work harder than the score of his Belgian opponent, who actually recorded more winners than the four-time champion but was undone by unforced errors, suggests.
“First meeting with Bergs, great guy. Obviously he has a lot of firepower in his game. He played a good match,” Djokovic said.
“Again, I was a little too passive. These are very difficult conditions these days for all players. I’m just trying to stay alive on the pitch and I’m happy to have overcome this obstacle.”
In the first set, Bergs showed remarkable resilience as he saved five set points to frustrate Djokovic, before the Serb finally closed out the match with an unreturned serve.
The second set proved even more grueling, with both players serving well but treating the crowd to breathtaking rallies that left Djokovic hunched over his racket on several occasions.
The climax came in an extraordinary rally where Djokovic gave Bergs five golden opportunities to seal the point with overhead shots and net volleys, only to emerge victorious and bring the crowd back to their feet.
Djokovic finally sealed victory on his third match point, advancing against Vacherot in what promises to be an intriguing semi-final.
“An incredible story for him. This tournament has eliminated the best players in the world… it’s really impressive what he’s doing,” Djokovic said.
Vacherot qualifier sets up Djokovic’s semi-final, ready for top 100
Vacherot pulled off a huge upset by stunning 10th seed Holger Rune 2-6 7-6 (4) 6-4 to become the second lowest-ranked player ever to reach an ATP Masters semi-final.
Monegasque Valentin Vacherot continues his magical journey to reach the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters. (Reuters: Come on Nakamura)
The Monaco qualifier’s remarkable run will see him break into the top 100 next week after spending half of last year on the sidelines due to injury, but even playing in Shanghai was a question mark upon his arrival.
“I didn’t even come in qualifying, I came as a substitute. I wasn’t even sure I would play in qualifying,” Vacherot said.
“Coming back after six months away is still not easy. You can’t just come back and win tournaments left and right. You just have to fight your way through a little bit.”
Vacherot’s superb run in Shanghai, which now includes victories against four seeds, seemed doomed from the start as Rune tore through a physically demanding first set while the underdog felt his “lungs screaming”.
But the tide changed dramatically in the second set tie-break when Vacherot produced a superb crosscourt backhand winner to take a 5-4 lead.
Rune sent his next shot into the net and could only watch as Vacherot fired a forehand winner down the line on set point to tie the match.
Rune struggled physically in the decision, forcing the trainer to massage his leg twice. Vacherot then took the opportunity to achieve a memorable victory in a one-minute, three-hour competition.
“It would mean a lot to play at least one of the ‘Big Three’ guys in my career,” Vacherot said of Djokovic.
Vacherot’s cousin Arthur Rinderknech is also in the quarter-finals, with the Frenchman due to face Félix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.
In Friday’s other quarter-final, Australia’s Alex de Minaur will face Grand Slam winner Daniil Medvedev.
Reuters
