PremiumShanghai Masters 2024 final: Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic; schedule, live streaming, head-to-head
Last Updated: 08.55 PM, Oct 12, 2024
Novak Djokovic is eyeing a career 100th title at the Shanghai Masters tournament and is one step away from achieving that. Standing in his way is Jannik Sinner, the World No.1, who earlier in the day, brushed past Tomas Machac in a clinical display of great tennis, to make his first-ever Shanghai Masters final. Djokovic’s been back in China after a 5-year gap, in the hope of snapping up the title that he’s won four times already.
What a win in Shanghai means to Djokovic
If Djokovic wins on Sunday, October 13, it will mark his career 100th title, putting him in an exclusive club that has only two other members – Roger Federer with 103 and Jimmy Connors with 109. His quest to get to three figures comes in a year in which he struggled with a knee injury that forced him out of the French Open, but then saw him return to play a Wimbledon final, which he lost to Carlos Alcaraz, only to then turn the tables on the young Spaniard at the Olympics, when he clinched gold.
At 37, Djokovic is aware more than ever of the limitations of his body and longer recovery periods that he needs. With two of his greatest rivals – Federer and Rafael Nadal – having retired, it remains to be seen how much longer he can push himself. At the moment, he is still motivated to play great tennis and is throwing everything he has into every match. The question, though, is if that is going to be enough to keep Sinner at bay.
The 23-year-old Italian is ending the year as the World No 1, on the back of a tremendous season that saw him win the Australian Open and the US Open, among others.
Djokovic vs Sinner head-to-head
Djokovic has a marginal lead over Sinner in the head-to-head encounters at 4: 3, however, their last two matches have gone in favour of the latter, including at the semi-final of the Australian Open. The last time Djokovic defeated Sinner was at the 2023 Nitto ATP final in 2023.
At the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic has had two injury scares, one during his quarter-final match, when it seemed his left knee was giving him trouble and then, during the semi-final, when he needed a medical time out to get his left hip attended to.
When and where to watch Djokovic vs Sinner Shanghai Masters final
The final of the Shanghai Masters 1000 tournament will be held on October 13 at 11.30 am (IST). In India, the match is available on Sony Sports, SonyLIV and OTTplay Premium.