Novak Djokovic ‘s return to the Shanghai Masters for the 11th time was epic on Friday evening. The 24-time slam king and 6-time winner at the ATP 1000 Masters event felt at home as Chinese fans cheered him during his first round. But it seemed more challenging than it had looked. The Serbian faced his longtime rival Marin Cilic . While the result was in his favor, the conditions were not. And Djokovic made it evident with an honest confession.

At the Stadium court on Friday, Djokovic beat Cilic in straight sets after an hour and 54 minutes. With a scoreline of 7-6(2), 6-4, the 38-year-old sealed his spot in the next stage. While a straight-set win may look like an easy ride on paper, it was far from it, and no one knows it better than Djokovic.

It wasn’t just Cilic he had to go throu

See Full Page