Serb tennis great Novak Djokovic created history at the Shanghai Masters with his win over Marin Cilic in his first-round outing in Shanghai. Djokovic, returning to the tour-level after his US Open semifinal exit, defeated Cilic 7-6(2), 6-4 to open his campaign for his record-extending fifth title.
Djokovic is in the hunt for his maiden ATP 1000 title of the year, with his previous best outing coming in the Miami Masters, where he finished runner-up to Jakub Mensik.
Meanwhile, Djokovic has created history with his opening-round win in China. This was Djokovic's 40th win in Shanghai, which makes him the first-ever man to have won at least 40 matches at six different ATP Masters 1000 events since the series’ introduction in 1990. The Serb has won 68 matches at Rome 68, 51 at Indian Wells, 50 at Paris, 49 at Miami, and 45 at Cincinnati 45.
Djokovic vs Cilic clash sets new world record
Meanwhile, the Djokovic vs Cilic clash has set a new world record. This has become the oldest ATP Masters 1000 clash main-draw since the series was introduced in 1990. The combined age for the match was 79 years and 139 days, with Djokovic being 38, while Cilic is 37.
Djokovic turned on his old-school tactics as he troubled Cilic in the one-hour and 55-minute game. He looked flat in the first set with Cilic scoring 20 winners, and the Serb had also twisted his back.
"I struggled to find my rhythm from the baseline," admitted Djokovic after the match. "I [lacked] some matches - my last one was at the US Open - so I got a really tough opener against Marin, who, when he is feeling the ball, is so dangerous and can beat anybody. He didn’t give me time to breathe, so I think I dug myself out of trouble with a good serving, which obviously makes me happy."
"Tonnes of respect for Marin, all he has achieved and who he is as a person," said Djokovic. "We get along very well off the court, we’ve known each other for some many years. The last time we played was three years ago, so it’s great to see him back playing at this level."
