Djokovic edges Munar to claim Shanghai Masters quarterfinal seat

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Novak Djokovic marched to the quarterfinal round of the ongoing Shanghai Masters tennis tournament after fending off Jaume Munar, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, on Oct. 7, 2025, in China.

Fresh off a come-from-behind victory over Yannick Hanfmann, Djokovic overcame another three-set match while enduring a minor left ankle injury.

During the two-hour, 40-minute Round of 16 clash, the 24-time Grand Slam winner had to call several medical timeouts to receive treatment on his leg, which hampered his momentum as the game progressed.

After winning the opener by a comfortable margin, Djokovic slowed down midway through the second set when he felt a numbing pain in his left ankle.

Djokovic had his leg issue addressed and received a standing ovation when he chose to stay in the match and not concede, which would’ve rewarded Munar with an easy walkover victory.

Despite losing in the second frame, Djokovic regained his focus in the timely stretch of the third and final set, capitalizing on Munar’s failed service hold attempt that opened the door wide for the Serbian superstar.

Unlike his inconsistent groundstrokes during the second set, Djokovic was laser-focused in sending the ball to Munar’s backhand, which made it difficult for the Spaniard to reset and switch to his forehand side.

The sequence went on until the fifth game, with Munar caught on an isolated island without any adjustments due to the blitzing speed of Djokovic’s signature forehand strike.

With another service break tallied to his sheet, Djokovic moved a game away from securing the win, hammering every down-the-line opportunity he got, which made the whole game uncomfortable for Munar.

Djokovic capped off the physical two-hour battle with 91 total points won, including three breaks and 31 on the return.

With the win, Djokovic arranged a quarterfinal clash with Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, who dispatched Gabriel Diallo during their Round of 16 showdown.