Novak Djokovic will take on Czechia teenager Jakub Mensik on Friday for a spot in the Shanghai semifinals and a chance at his first Masters title of the year.
Novak Djokovic won the Olympic gold medal, made the final of Wimbledon, and sits at No. 4 in the world–a success by almost every standard. But for the likes of one of the all-time greats, his 2024 campaign has been unspectacular–particularly as Djokovic is the record holder with 40 Masters singles titles to his name.
The Serb, who has been off the boil for most of the year, has been efficient this fortnight at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. He has not yet dropped a set yet, although Alex Michelsen pushed him to two tiebreaks in the second round.
Jakub Mensik has worked much harder than his quarterfinal opponent. All of his matches in Shanghai have gone the distance. Then again, he boasts a string of upset wins over an impressive crop of adversaries that includes top-10 players Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov. The 19-year-old is ranked 65th in the world and he has been threatening to really break through all year. He just hasn’t quite gotten there yet with a huge result.
This has the makings of an entertaining match. Mensik is undoubtedly playing well, and while Djokovic has been in control so far at this tournament as is so often the case, there is no reason to believe the Czech isn’t going to at least snag a set from the master.
Look for this one to go the distance, but with Djokovic advancing.
Cheryl pick: Djokovic in 3
Ricky pick: Djokovic in 2
