Djokovic saves set points to deny brave Michelsen in Shanghai

Novak Djokovic began his quest for a 100th title Saturday after overcoming a sluggish start to defeat Alex Michelsen 7-6(3), 7-6(9) in a pulsating second-round clash at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Returning to China's business and finance hub for the first time in five years, and playing just his second match since the US Open, 37-year-old Djokovic was thoroughly tested by the #NextGenATP American, who held two set points in the deciding tie-break.

"It was the first match against Alex and I also hadn't played in a while, so it took me a little time to get the rust off,” said Djokovic, who boasts a record 35 match wins in Shanghai. “He started off terrifically; big serves and an aggressive style of tennis... he's not afraid to step it up and take it to his opponent.

"It was a very close encounter and I thought a high level of tennis in both sets. I'm just glad to keep calm when it mattered in the second-set tie-break.”

Still wearing a protective sleeve over his right knee, on which he had meniscus surgery, Djokovic will next play the winner of 28th-seeded Flavio Cobolli or longtime rival Stan Wawrinka.

Djokovic won just four points in the first three games against the #NextGenATP American, who raced to a 4-1 lead in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash.

Putting 16 of his first 18 first serves into play and frequently moving to net, a confident Michelsen played with aggressive intent and appeared comfortable in baseline exchanges with the four-time Shanghai champion. But when the 20-year-old struggled to put his first serve into play in the seventh game, Djokovic broke back and ultimately took the set when he won his 11th tie-break from 15 played this season.

Like Michelsen in the opener, Djokovic led 4-1 in the second only to allow his opponent back onto even terms at 4-all. But the Serbian held his nerve in the decisive tie-break after saving set points at 7/8 and 8/9 to close out the win after one hour and 55 minutes.

"I was 4-1 up, 15/40 and he hit the let-cord that went over. It could easily have been 6-1 for me in the second,” Djokovic said. “But at this level, things can change very quickly.

"I'm glad to really be challenged by a young player and I'm looking forward to the next one."

In a high-quality match, Djokovic hit 34 winners to 23 unforced errors, with Michelsen notching 30 winners to 19 unforced errors according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Novak Djokovic, you have got to be kidding ?@DjokerNole | @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/u2mJE0RrUY

Djokovic is the only player in history (since 1990) to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles, a feat he has achieved twice en route to his record haul of 40 titles at this level. He is yet to reach a final in the series this year.

Djokovic last year won Masters 1000 titles in Cincinnati and Paris, and collected a record eighth Nitto ATP Finals crown. But in 2024 he has won just one title, the Paris Olympics, as his semmingly inevitable march towards 100 career titles has been delayed.

Improving to 33-8 on the season, Djokovic was playing just his second match since a third-round loss to Alexei Popyrin at the US Open. The victory saw Djokovic overtake the injured Alex de Minaur in eighth place in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin and move inside the cut for the Nitto ATP Finals (10-17 November).

Michelsen, who is third in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah, is at a career-high ranking of 43 after last week reaching the Tokyo quarter-finals, where he upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round after qualifying.