Novak Djokovic is peaking at just the right time, pushing to finish the season atop the ATP Rankings. And it’s only fitting that the Serbian is making his assault during a part of the year that he has long dominated.

After defeating World No. 8 Kevin Anderson in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Friday, Djokovic now owns a 68-9 record in China with 10 championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medal. To put that in perspective, the Serbian has more titles in the country (10) than he has losses (9).

According to the 31-year-old, that is no coincidence. Djokovic has always loved playing in China, and it has showed in his performance.

“I really think that they are [some] of the best tennis fans in the world. I think they are very loyal. Very, very supportive. They give me a lot of love and they appreciate me being here and performing in front of them and doing well,” Djokovic said. “Of course I try to return that favour and respect them with my tennis, but also, the time that I spend with them off the court. I try to be with them as much as I can.”

It doesn’t hurt that Djokovic carried momentum into this event. Djokovic fell to No. 22 in the ATP Rankings in May, which was his lowest point since October 2006. The Serbian began his 2018 with a 6-6 record, as he struggled to recover from a right elbow injury.

But since then, he has won 37 of his past 40 matches, including titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and Cincinnati, where he became the first player to complete the Career Golden Masters, capturing the only ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy he was missing.

It’s the perfect storm for Djokovic, who can move to World No. 2 with a win in Saturday’s semi-finals against Alexander Zverev. If he lifts the trophy, Djokovic would move to within 215 points of World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the ATP Rankings as the Serbian attempts to finish as year-end No. 1 for the fifth time.

“Starting basically from Queen’s to this point, to this day, is where I feel like I’m playing my best, and you can see the results are showing exactly that,” Djokovic said. “In terms of percentage, whether I’m playing this week better than I have in Wimbledon or [at the] US Open, I don’t think so too much. I mean, it’s right up there, and I’m really glad that I don’t have too big of oscillations during my matches, and I’m keeping my focus there and just being very consistent and very solid. And that’s something that has helped me throughout my career to reach these heights, always trying to be solid and making the other player work twice as much for his points.”

With his victory against Anderson, Djokovic is now 189-89 against opponents inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, including seven triumphs in a row against the elite group since the start of Wimbledon. Djokovic has found his stride during a part of the season that has always treated him well. And from No. 22 just months ago, he is in position to complete the biggest turnaround for a year-end No. 1 in history (currently Agassi, No. 14 on 3 May 1999).

“I think just in terms of consistency, it’s there that I was lacking in the first part of the year. I mean, after surgery, I had to face some difficulties. Understanding how that invasive treatment has compromised my serve and my game in general, it compromised more than I thought it would,” Djokovic said. “So it took me three, four months to really get everything together and start feeling well, start thinking less on the court what I need to do and just letting things flow automatically as they should.”

Djokovic’s game is certainly flowing now, and he will try to keep it going in the Shanghai semi-finals against Zverev.

Did You Know?
– In addition to his push for the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking, Djokovic is also surging toward the top spot in the ATP Race To London. If he triumphs in Shanghai, the Serbian will move to within just 35 points of No. 1 Rafael Nadal. View ATP Race To London

– This is the 10th edition of the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Djokovic is appearing for the eighth time, and he has advanced to at least the semi-finals in every participation.

Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo moved to within one match win of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the third straight year after advancing on Friday to the Rolex Shanghai Masters semi-finals. The third seeds knocked out seventh seeds and fellow Nitto ATP Finals contenders Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus 7-6(3), 4-6, 10-7 in one hour and 48 minutes. Kubot and Melo let slip a 5-3 lead in the first set.

Last year’s runners up at The O2 in London are now looking to join Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who they will play on Saturday in the Shanghai semi-finals, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, and Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, as qualifiers at the 11-18 November season finale. Second seeds Marach and Pavic knocked out eighth seeds Ivan Dodig and Nikola Mektic 3-6, 6-2, 10-6 in 83 minutes.

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Sixth seeds Murray and Soares, who qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals on Thursday, will contest their fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final on Sunday after sweeping past fifth seeded Colombians Cabal and Farah 6-3, 6-4 in a repeat of the Western & Southern Open final in August. The British/Brazilian team have a 9-7 record in finals.

Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 16 matches and maintained his bid to finish at year-end No. 1 in the ATP Rankings for the fifth time on Friday by reaching the Rolex Shanghai Masters semi-final. The second-seeded Serbian, a three-time champion at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, won a repeat of this year’s Wimbledon final over seventh seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa 7-6(1), 6-3 in one hour and 44 minutes.

Djokovic could move to within 35 points of No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal in the ATP Race To London — the year-to-date standings — if he lifts his 32nd Masters 1000 trophy on Sunday. He could also rise to No. 2 in the ATP Rankings if he advances to the final, and Roger Federer does not win the title.

He will now prepare to face fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev, who became the fifth singles player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 11-18 November, as a result of beating Kyle Edmund of Great Britain in the quarter-finals. Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Juan Martin del Potro had already booked their spots at the prestigious season finale.

Djokovic has now won 29 of his 31 matches overall since losing to then No. 72-ranked Cecchinato 6-3, 7-6(4), 1-6, 7-6(11) on 5 June in the Roland Garros quarter-finals. With a 43-10 record on the season (21-4 on hard courts), the Serbian has captured two Grand Slam championship trophies this year the Wimbledon and the US Open (d. Del Potro), plus the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (d. Federer). Victory in Cincinnati saw Djokovic become the first player to win titles at all nine Masters 1000 events since the start of the series in 1990.

In a tense first set, Anderson could not convert one set point at 6-5, with Djokovic serving at Ad-Out, when he hooked a forehand wide. Having completed an eight-minute service hold, Djokovic grew in confidence to win the first three points of the tie-break. The Serbian won 10 of the last 11 points and strike a backhand winner — his 17th of the 63-minute set — to gain the momentum in their eighth FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.

Anderson’s first-service began to falter and Djokovic soon seized his chance in the second set. When Anderson struck a backhand into the net at 0-1, 15/40, Djokovic didn’t look back and continued to mix up his service speed and placement. Djokovic won 85 per cent of his first-service points and withstood 16 aces from Anderson.

Anderson, a winner of four ATP World Tour titles including the inaugural New York Open (d. Querrey) in February, is now 40-16 on the year. He is currently in seventh position in the ATP Race To London, looking to clinch one of the three remaining singles berths at the eight-man Nitto ATP Finals.

In 2018, the South Americans are dominating on the ATP Challenger Tour and the continent’s top stars have descended on the Dominican Republic for this week’s $125,000 Santo Domingo Open.

Three of the Top Five win percentage leaders are in the Dominican capital, with Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien and Argentina’s Guido Andreozzi and Juan Ignacio Londero battling on the green clay. Dellien entered the week with a 31-11 (.738) win-loss mark and three titles, Andreozzi with a 30-11 (.732) record and also three trophies and Londero with an impressive 35-13 (.729) and two titles. 

The trio have grinded on the dirt all year and are reaping the rewards in the ATP Rankings. Dellien and Andreozzi have broken into the Top 100 behind breakthrough campaigns, while Londero is close behind, peaking at No. 118 last month.

“It has been a great season for me,” Londero told ATPWorldTour.com. “I feel great physically and have been playing very well. I have been spending the whole year doing the right things on court and working hard. I’m eating right, training right and taking the right breaks when I can. It has all been perfect.”

“I am very happy to get to the Top 100, because I worked really hard and it has reflected in my ranking,” Andreozzi added. “I am just happy with how I’m improving and the results on the court. It’s true that I’ve won three titles and at the beginning of the year I won in Punta del Este (Uruguay), which gave me a lot of confidence. I have played with a lot of confidence and at a good level.”

Play suspended in Santo Domingo once again, as moisture from Hurricane Michael persists.

Revised OOP to follow soon… pic.twitter.com/8ssr6XZZVS

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 10, 2018

It has been a trying week in Santo Domingo, with players braving brutal conditions from Hurricane Michael. Moisture from the storm wiped out play on Wednesday, after matches got underway at 7pm the night before due to the torrential rain.

That has created a manic day on Thursday, with the entire singles second round and quarter-final slate being completed, as well as the first two rounds of the doubles competition. All players remain huddled in the clubhouse of La Bocha, as mother nature dictates their fate. 

But spirits are high. Dellien, Andreozzi (2016 singles champ) and Londero  (2017 doubles winner) have all played here in previous years and feel at home in the club’s cozy confines. With world-class hospitality and a festive atmosphere, players are taking the adverse conditions in stride.

“I am very happy to return to a tournament that is very nice,” said Londero. “Here in Santo Domingo they organize the event very well. Last year I reached the second round as a qualifier and had the opportunity to win the doubles title. And I’m just happy to finish the year here and then in South America, where I will be close to Argentina.”

“I really like it a lot in Santo Domingo,” Andreozzi exclaimed. “The people treat you very well and I will always remember my title here in 2016. It’s a plus to come back to a place where you won.”

Christian Garin celebrates a second-round win in Santo Domingo

But the terrific trio of Dellien, Andreozzi and Londero aren’t the only Latin American stars in action in Santo Domingo. Christian Garin carries a 36-15 record on the heels of his second ATP Challenger Tour title in Campinas, Brazil. Arguably the most in-form player in the tournament, Garin has dropped just 10 games in reaching the semi-finals and extending his win streak to eight straight.

“The truth is that it’s been two years since I’ve come here, but I like it a lot,” said Garin about his experience in Santo Domingo. “I like to play here. The heat is strong and the humidity is heavy, but it’s a nice tournament and it has a lot of great energy.”

The 22-year-old Chilean is pushing towards a Top 100 berth as he rises to a career-high No. 121 in the ATP Rankings. While his victory in Campinas was just his first title of the year, Garin has carried a strong run of form from the summer months. After successfully qualifying at Wimbledon, he finished runner-up on the clay of Como, Italy. 

Entering the 2018 season, Garin owned just two Top 100 wins in his young career. He has exceeded that this year alone, registering three such victories over elite competition, including a stunning straight-set win over current World No. 15 Stefanos Tsitipas in Le Gosier.

“I’ve been working on the simple things this year,” said Garin. “I’m improving my first serve percentage and trying to be more aggressive. It’s paying off. I’m very happy with the things I’ve improved. It hasn’t always been perfect, but I don’t need to change much, because I feel great with the year I’m having.”

Garin will face Carlos Berlocq in Friday’s semi-finals, with the winner to play for the Santo Domingo Open championship. 

This time, when Kevin Anderson faces Novak Djokovic, the South African should have plenty of energy.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the following match-ups at the Rolex Shanghai Masters and vote for the players you think will win!
Federer v Nishikori | Djokovic v Anderson | Zverev v Edmund | Coric v Ebden

The last time they played, in the Wimbledon final, two days earlier, Anderson had won the longest Wimbledon semi-final in history, beating American John Isner 26-24 in the fifth set to make his second Grand Slam title match. The 6’8” right-hander admitted to feeling tired against Djokovic and fell in straight sets.

In Shanghai, however, both players have glided into the quarter-finals without dropping a set. Anderson served past Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan and then avenged his Rogers Cup semi-final loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.

Djokovic remained unbeaten in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Frenchman Jeremy Chardy (12-0) and gained revenge against Italian Marco Cecchinato, who beat Djokovic in the Roland Garros quarter-finals. The Serbian has faced only two break points so far in Shanghai, and he has won his past 15 matches, dating back to his titles at the Western & Southern Open and US Open.

Xie xie #NoleFam ??? @SH_RolexMasters #RolexShMasters pic.twitter.com/X02AqdOrkE

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) October 11, 2018

“I’m really pleased with the way I have been using my serve accurately and effectively in the first two matches, which is very important on this kind of surface that’s really quick,” Djokovic said. “I was making [Cecchinato] play always an extra shot. I was aggressive when I needed to be. The second set was perfect, really. I’m really glad to be able to finish the match the way I did.”

Djokovic leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Anderson 6-1, including wins in their past six matchups. But if Anderson is to spring the upset, you have to think Shanghai – some of the quickest conditions on the ATP World Tour – could be the setting for the big-hitting South African, who’s enjoying his best year yet, at age 32.

Ever wondered what it’s like in a players locker room?@KAndersonATP gave us a guided tour of his following his win today…? pic.twitter.com/8bZUos5DaZ

— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) October 11, 2018

He is currently in seventh place in the ATP Race To London. The top eight will qualify for the prestigious season finale, to be held 11-18 November at The O2 in London. Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro have already booked their spots. Buy Tickets Now

Elsewhere in the bottom half of the draw, Brit Kyle Edmund will try to reach his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final when he faces three-time Masters 1000 titlist Alexander Zverev.

The German dismantled #NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-4 in only 68 minutes to make the last eight. Edmund also looked sharp while beating Marin Cilic’s conqueror, Nicolas Jarry of Chile, 7-6(5), 6-3.

Zverev leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 3-0, including a straight-sets win earlier this year in Rome.

In the top half, defending champion Federer, after two three-set wins, will meet Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who beat American Sam Querrey to make the quarter-finals. The last time Federer and Nishikori played on hard courts, in the fourth round of the 2017 Australian Open, the Japanese right-hander pushed Federer to five sets.

Federer is looking to win his third Shanghai title this week and hold onto the No. 2 spot in the ATP Rankings. Nishikori, meanwhile, is attempting to make a late push for the Nitto ATP Finals. He is currently in ninth place in the Race with 3,000 points, 535 points behind eighth-placed Dominic Thiem.

The winner of Federer-Nishikori will meet either Croatian Borna Coric or Aussie Matthew Ebden. Coric advanced to the quarter-finals – his third at the Masters 1000 level this year – when Juan Martin del Potro retired with a knee injury after the first set.

Ebden gained one of the biggest wins of his career in the second round, upsetting No. 7 Dominic Thiem before beating Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk to return to the Shanghai quarter-finals for the second time (also 2011).