Djokovic Advances Amid Health Concerns; Vacherot Stuns Rune

SHANGHAI, China — Novak Djokovic expressed concern over his physical health but advanced to the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Thursday after defeating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5.

The 38-year-old Serbian, the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament, is closing in on his fifth title in Shanghai. He will next face surprise qualifier Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, who came back from a set down to upset world number 6 Holger Rune.

“I’m concerned too,” Djokovic said, acknowledging his fans’ worries about his well-being. “There are issues that I’m trying to address day by day. I prefer just focusing on recovery.”

During the match against Bergs, Djokovic struggled physically, taking a puff from an inhaler during a break. Despite this, he managed to win the first set. The second set was filled with tense moments as Bergs fought back but ultimately succumbed to Djokovic’s skill.

“There’s always something happening with the body, pretty much every match I play right now,” Djokovic admitted. “I’ve been struggling quite a bit with energy levels, but the crowd’s support drives me.”

Valentin Vacherot, the lowest-ranked player in the quarter-finals, expressed excitement about facing Djokovic. “It would be unreal to play against him,” he said after his victory over Rune. “What I’m really happy about is my fitness. My body feels amazing.”

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek also advanced to the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open on Thursday. Sabalenka defeated Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2 while Swiatek overcame Belinda Bencic in a tough match, winning 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.

Sabalenka revealed that she practiced with Djokovic last month, saying, “I hope I was a great hitting partner. So far, he’s winning in Shanghai, so I guess I was.”

Swiatek emphasized the difficulty of her match against Bencic. “It was super hard, and every game was tough,” she said. “I wanted to play with confidence.”

Coco Gauff also reached the quarter-finals after defeating Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2.