Djokovic overcomes Cilic at Shanghai Masters; Pegula and Noskova enter China Open semis

Novak Djokovic said he had to “fire up all engines” as he overcame a stodgy first set to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday, beating fellow veteran Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

The 38-year-old Serb is chasing a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai, where he was greeted by rapturous cheers as he entered a stadium packed with adoring Chinese fans.

The combined age of Djokovic and Cilic — 75 years and 139 days — was the oldest ever between two opponents in an ATP Masters 1000 main draw match.

“I did enjoy it, but I also suffered a lot on the court,” Djokovic said after launching his title bid.

“It was a very close match. He was probably the better player for the first set,” he added, saying he needed to “fire up all engines”.

The first set was hard-fought, with 94th-ranked Cilic’s best chance to break the 24-time Grand Slam champion coming but going in the 11th game.

Djokovic seemed to regain his footing in the tiebreak, steaming ahead to prevail 7-2.

In the second set the world number five broke the Croat in the third game and then kept his cool in a tense 10th game to secure victory with a final ace.

Djokovic said he felt both he and Cilic had “performed like we were maybe 15 years younger”.

The two players have now faced each other 22 times, with Djokovic winning 20 of those.

“We keep challenging each other, but also the young guys on the tour,” Djokovic said, after playing for the first time since losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semi-finals a month ago.

“At the end of the day, age doesn’t matter when you walk out on the court, you have to find a way to win.”

Last year Djokovic lost to world number two Jannik Sinner, 14 years his junior, in the final.

On Thursday he said he would “love to have the chance” to play Sinner again if they meet in the semi-finals.

Sinner will start his defence against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier on Saturday.

The United States’ Ben Shelton became the first top-10 seed to be booted out of the competition, beaten by 83rd-ranked David Goffin in straight sets.

The Belgian underdog beat 22-year-old Shelton, ranked sixth in the world, 6-2, 6-4.

Teenager Learner Tien — fresh from losing the final of the China Open against Sinner in Beijing on Wednesday — continued his recent good form, beating Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic to advance into the second round.

Alcaraz is not in Shanghai after pulling out to rest having won the Japan Open.

Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula bounced back from a first-set stumble to secure a 6-7(2) 6-2 6-1 win over American compatriot Emma Navarro on Friday and reach the China Open semi-finals where she will face Czech Linda Noskova.

Noskova, seeded 26th, thumped unseeded Briton Sonay Kartal 6-3 6-4 earlier on Friday to ensure her first appearance in the final four of a WTA 1000 tournament.

World number seven Pegula got a break early in the first set, but Navarro saved three set points to make it 5-5 before prevailing in the tiebreak.

However Pegula, a former U.S. Open finalist, kept her cool and dominated the next two sets, securing her third win in a row against Navarro.

NOSKOVA OUTPLAYS KARTAL: Noskova’s win over Kartal made her the third player born since 2004 to reach 10 semi-finals on the WTA circuit, alongside Coco Gauff and Diana Shnaider.

The 20-year-old is set to make her top 20 debut when the updated WTA rankings are released on Monday.

Noskova started brightly, breaking Kartal early to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set. The Briton, who stunned Russian fourth seed Mirra Andreeva in the previous round, rallied to level at 3-3, but Noskova reclaimed control, converting her third break point and closing out the set.

The second set proved tighter, with Kartal breaking Noskova’s serve to lead 2-0. But the Czech responded decisively, sealing the win in one hour and 10 minutes. Noskova will play Pegula on Saturday after American compatriots Gauff and Amanda Anisimova meet in the first semi-final.

Agencies