Shanghai Masters 2024: There’s no getting past the Djokovic juggernaut for Fritz

The Novak Djokovic-Taylor Fritz head-to-head now stands at 10:0, as the Serbian heads into the final against Jannik Sinner for a shot at a career 100th title.

Novak Djokovic is one step away from a career 100th title

Taylor Fritz, it would seem, just can’t get past Novak Djokovic, losing to the Serbian great a 10th time. The stage was the Shanghai Masters 2024 semi-final, where Fritz poured his heart and soul into the match, but that was not going to be enough to stop a man who is gunning for a career 100th title. Only a day after his quarter-final win against Jakub Mensik, a three-set match that had Djokovic struggling with his left knee, he was back on court.

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How Djokovic went up 10:0 against Fritz

Djokovic drew first blood, breaking Fritz in the very first game, a lead he held on to take the set 6-4. The second set was an even more fiercely contested one, with neither man conceding a break, although there were plenty of opportunities and several tremendous game points that saw Djokovic, especially, pushing his physical limits to get from one end of the court to the other and produce some of the finest return winners of the match.

Fritz had at least two chances to level the match and take it to a decider, when he led Djokovic’s service game and the latter had to take a medical time out to tend to a niggling issue in his left hip. Unfortunately for Fritz, though, he could not capitalize on that. But what was worse was that he squandered the next opportunity in the tie-break, when he was on set point at 6-5. Two points later, Djokovic was heading into the final against Jannik Sinner on October 13.

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Speaking after the match, Djokovic acknowledged that he was struggling a bit during the match, and was all praise for Fritz’s superb form. “Taylor was serving great; I did not want to get to third set,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Sinner fought off a spirited attack from Tomas Machac to make it to his first-ever Shanghai Masters finale. Fans in India can tune in to Sony Sports, SonyLIV or OTTplay Premium to watch the World No.1 in action against the last man standing of tennis’ great three.

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