Djokovic, the first to reach the Masters semifinals, receives more good news as Federer makes his appearance today.

Is hard work rewarded with the best fate? Looking at Djokovic’s current journey at the Shanghai Masters, many agree with this statement.

Before the key battle between Djokovic and Berrettini began, outside confidence in the Serbian star’s ability to reach the semifinals was not very strong. The reason being: after a grueling three-set victory against Munar in the round of 16, Djokovic showed signs of distress with vomiting and two medical timeouts due to the intense heat and humidity, raising serious health concerns. Although he managed to finish the match with painkillers and secured the win, facing a vigorous Berrettini—who reached the Masters quarterfinals for the first time with high confidence—left many anxious about whether Djokovic could withstand the young player’s strong challenge.

Some even expressed pre-match worries that after defeating Munar, all signs pointed to Djokovic being in very poor physical condition, and there was a possibility he might suddenly withdraw before the match.

Even though Djokovic appeared on court as expected, dismissing the withdrawal rumors, many still doubted if he could overcome Berrettini, who was at his peak in confidence and morale, given Djokovic’s previous close calls against Munar.

Once the first set started, many viewers in the live stream admitted this was their first time watching Djokovic’s match with such intense nervousness.

Especially mid-first set, when Berrettini earned multiple break points on Djokovic’s serve, many said they could literally hear their own hearts pounding, feeling even more nervous than Djokovic battling on court.

This tense atmosphere only eased slightly when Djokovic finally took the first set 6-3.

However, many still felt Djokovic should aim to finish Berrettini in straight sets, warning that if the match extended to three sets, “putting aside everything else, just in terms of stamina, young Berrettini could completely drain the veteran’s energy tank.”

This view mainly stemmed from the late second set, when Djokovic had secured a break and was serving for the set, but the live chat was filled with debate about whether the Serbian star could close it out. Two reasons fueled this: Berrettini’s toughness and Djokovic playing injured, raising concerns over his endurance.

After Djokovic lost his service game, viewers saw Berrettini gaining momentum while Djokovic showed visible fatigue from long rallies, highlighting a clear stamina gap and causing worry that Djokovic might lose the second set due to exhaustion. If the match went to a deciding set under these conditions, winning would be even harder.

Interestingly, Berrettini fought back to 5-5 but then failed to hold his serve, giving Djokovic a second chance to close out the match.

Seeing this, some joked in the live chat that this was a divine opportunity for Djokovic to secure a semifinal spot, warning that if he missed it again, he would need to seriously reconsider his future path.

This time, Djokovic didn’t give Berrettini another chance, fighting with all his might to hold under pressure and ultimately sealed the victory 7-5. The match lasted 1 hour and 51 minutes; winning in two sets seemed easier than the previous three-set battle, but it was still a hard-fought victory.

This win also allowed Djokovic to set an impressive record at the Shanghai Masters: becoming the first player to reach the semifinals ten times, firmly establishing himself as the tournament’s top player.

Following Djokovic’s victory, another piece of good news led many to proclaim that the Serbian star’s fifth Shanghai Masters title was becoming increasingly certain.

With Rune defeated by Vachier-Lagrave, one strong opponent was out, and many believed Djokovic’s place in the final was almost guaranteed.

If Djokovic could beat a vigorous Berrettini while injured, then facing another injured player like Vachier-Lagrave would certainly improve his chances even more.

Many also cited another reason why Djokovic’s championship seemed more secure: in the other half of the draw, players like De Minaur, Medvedev, Lindgren, and Alcaraz, whoever reached the final, would likely struggle to stop the Serbian star, with a consensus that Djokovic’s odds of winning were over 90%.

After the Shanghai Masters reached a climax with Djokovic’s relentless fighting spirit, Federer is ready to add fuel to the fire, aiming to ignite the enthusiasm of fans and viewers completely.

Today, Federer will make a grand appearance, teaming up with Donnie Yen, Wu Lei, and Zheng Jie to deliver an exciting doubles exhibition match.

This highly anticipated Federer doubles show will take place after all matches on the center court, making it an unmissable event for Federer fans!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)