Djokovic after his match in Shanghai: "I'm just trying to stay alive on the court"

In the humidity of Shanghai, Novak Djokovic experienced a tough quarter-final, especially in the second set. Facing Belgian Zizou Bergs, ranked 44th in the world, the former world number one ultimately triumphed in two sets, but not without a sweat. After his victory, he spoke to the ATP microphone:

"To be honest, I'm just trying to stay alive on the court. First match against Bergs, a great guy, who has a lot of power in his game. I should have closed out the match at 5-4, he played well and I was a bit too passive. The conditions were very difficult today, and have been for all players over the past few weeks."

This observation echoes that of many players on the Asian tour: stifling heat, humidity, accumulated fatigue after a long and demanding season.

Seeded fourth, he will now face the tournament's surprise: Valentin Vacherot, the 204th-ranked player in the world who came through the qualifiers.