World No. 1 Novak Djokovic came on Friday within a tie-break of losing to a player ranked outside of the Top 100 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time in more than eight years. The Serbian was forced to work hard for his 30th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 match win of the year by overcoming No. 110-ranked Mischa Zverev 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 21 minutes at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. "I had to dig myself out of a hole," said Djokovic. "He was the better player for most of the first part of the match. He was up a set and a break, [then] a game away from winning. Tactically played well. He slowed...
Roberto Bautista Agut is through to his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final after beating ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4 on Friday at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. The Spaniard will face Novak Djokovic as he bids to reach his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final. His first semi-final came two years ago on home soil in Madrid, where he lost to Rafael Nadal. "I'm happy about being in the semi-finals. But also, I'm happy with the way I'm working, with the way I'm planning all my days, with the way I'm playing on the court," said Bautista Agut. "I'm feeling great. I hope to continue like this." Bautista Agut will need to overturn a 0-5 FedEx ATP...
Watch Hot Shot as Roberto Bautista Agut lashes back a forehand winner past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com. Photo: Getty Images
The quarter-finals at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Friday are led by the top two players in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. They have combined to win five of the previous seven tournament titles with Murray winning in 2010-11 and Djokovic in 2012-13, 2015. In the opening match on Stadium, No. 16 seed Roberto Bautista Agut and No. 9 seed/last year’s finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga meet for the fifth time (tied 2-2). Tsonga won both of last year’s meetings and Bautista Agut has claimed both of this year’s contests, from a set down in the Auckland semi-finals (saving match point) and in the 3R at ATP Masters 1000 Miami (in a third set tie-break). The Spaniard is...
