Novak Djokovic fights off physical issues to defeat spirited qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in Shanghai
Novak Djokovic sets up Jaume Munar clash in fourth round at ATP Masters 1000 event after overcoming German Yannick Hanfmann; Watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app
Sunday 5 October 2025 23:01, UK
Novak Djokovic fought off physical issues to defeat spirited qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 4-6 7-5 6-3 at the Shanghai Masters on Sunday.
Djokovic, who is bidding for a record-extending fifth title here, was forced to dig deep, drawing energy from the crowd to keep his title pursuit alive.
With his two hours and 45 minutes victory - his second-longest best-of-three-set match in 2025 - Djokovic set a fourth-round meeting with Spain's Jaume Munar.
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"It's the same for every player out on the court, but it's brutal," Djokovic said of the Shanghai conditions. "It's brutal when you have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they're playing during the day with heat, with sun, it's even more brutal.
"For me, biologically it's a bit more challenging to deal with it. But I had to really weather the storm today. Yannick played an incredible match from the beginning."
Tale of the Tape
World No 2 Jannik Sinner, who won the China Open in Beijing, is scheduled to play Tallon Griekspoor later on Sunday.
Big-serving Mpetshi Perricard upsets Fritz
Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard upset fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz 6-4 7-5 to advance to the fourth round.
Mpetshi Perricard sent down 12 aces with a break in each set to clinch his first tour victory against the American in one hour and 25 minutes to set up a last-16 meeting with 10th-seeded Holger Rune.
"Before this my record was not good, 0-6 [against Top 10 players]," said Mpetshi Perricard.
"Some of the matches were tough losses for me. I was very close against [Lorenzo] Musetti, against [Fritz] at Wimbledon, and I had a lot of things to improve. I tried to do a few things better than at Wimbledon, and it worked today.
"It was a tough match, physically and mentally, but I did well and I'm very happy about it."
Rune beat 21st-seeded Ugo Humbert 6-4 6-4, while Zizou Bergs upset 19th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 and the 31st-seeded Gabriel Diallo advanced by walkover after David Goffin retired early in the first set.
Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Japan Open last week, is not in Shanghai due to minor ailments.
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