Sinner pulls out as Djokovic beats Hanfmann; Anisimova lifts China Open title

Defending champion Jannik Sinner retired on Sunday from the Shanghai Masters after suffering a leg injury in his third-round match against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.

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The world number two began to experience issues in the fourth game of the third set, and tried to persevere before abandoning the match when trailing 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 3-2.

Earlier, Novak Djokovic said he had been “hanging by a rope” before battling through to the Shanghai Masters last 16 with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Serb is looking to win a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai but was given a mighty scare by the 150th-ranked German.

Djokovic fired two aces to start, delighting the crowd, but soon ran into trouble as Hanfmann found his range.

The German broke in the third game and held serve after that to clinch the first set.

“I was just outplayed by a better player for a set and a half — I was hanging by a rope to stay in the match,” Djokovic said.

Neither player was able to take control of a gruelling second set, until a series of unforced errors from Hanfmann in the 12th game gave Djokovic the opening he needed.