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Fourth seed Novak Djokovic advanced to his tenth Shanghai Masters semi-final after defeating Belgian Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 in a fiercely contested encounter. Despite the straight-sets win, the world number one was made to work for every point as Bergs displayed impressive power and resilience.
Djokovic praised his opponent after the match, describing him as "a great guy with a lot of firepower." The Serbian admitted to being slightly passive early on due to the humid conditions that have troubled players throughout the tournament. The first set saw Bergs save five set points before Djokovic sealed it with an unreturned serve.
The second set featured extended rallies that brought the crowd to its feet, including one breathtaking exchange where Djokovic turned defense into triumph despite giving Bergs multiple chances to close the point. Ultimately, Djokovic prevailed on his third match point, booking a semi-final clash against world number 204 Valentin Vacherot.
Vacherot, a qualifier from Monaco, stunned 10th seed Holger Rune in an earlier match to reach the semi-finals. His victory ensures he will break into the ATP top 100 for the first time, marking one of the sport's most inspiring comeback stories after months sidelined by injury.
Djokovic, chasing another Masters title, lauded Vacherot's resilience, calling his rise "an amazing story." Their meeting promises a thrilling showdown between experience and youthful hunger in Shanghai.
