Djokovic enters Shanghai semis as Vacherot's fairytale run continues; Sabalenka extends Wuhan winning run

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic battled past a spirited Zizou Bergs 6-3 7-5 on Thursday to reach the Shanghai Masters semifinals for a IOth time, setting up a clash with surprise package and world number 204 Valentin Vacherot.

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In challenging conditions, Djokovic was made to work harder than the scoreline suggests by his Belgian opponent, who actually registered more winners than the four-times champion but was undone by unforced errors.

In the opening set, Bergs showed remarkable resilience by saving five set points to frustrate Djokovic, before the Serbian finally closed it out with an unreturned serve.

The second set proved even more gruelling, with both players serving well but treating the crowd to breathtaking rallies that left Djokovic hunched over his racquet on several occasions.

The highlight came during one extraordinary rally where Djokovic gave Bergs five golden opportunities to seal the point with overhead shots and volleys at the net, only to somehow emerge victorious and bring the crowd to its feet.

Djokovic eventually sealed victory on his third match point, advancing to face Vacherot in what promises to be an intriguing semifinal clash.