SHANGHAI – An aggressive Novak Djokovic powered through to the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters on Oct 8, steamrollering Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour, as he took out his frustrations over the hassle of the rain-disrupted schedule on the Italian.
The four-time Shanghai champion completely dominated 30th-ranked Cobolli, breaking him in the second and sixth games of the first set.
“I can’t complain about anything in the game, I was able to play aggressively,” Djokovic said. “I’m glad to be progressing through a tournament that has meant a lot to me in my career.”
Fans waved Serbian flags and screamed in delight when the former world No. 1 wrote part of his name in Chinese characters on a camera lens at the end of the match.
He will next play Russian Roman Safiullin, who upset American Frances Tiafoe in three tight sets.
“I’m glad to finally play a match after three days of rain, it’s been a hassle for a lot of players,” Djokovic said.
The round of 16 has almost fallen into place after days of schedule disruption due to rain.
Ben Shelton dispatched Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-4 to set up a Shanghai rematch with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy. The American knocked Sinner out of the tournament at the same stage in 2023.
This story is from the October 09, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the October 09, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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