Djokovic successfully overcomes challenge at the 2025 Shanghai Masters

Tennis star Novak Djokovic spent almost 3 hours beating Yannick Hanfmann in the third round of the 2025 Shanghai Masters.

Novak Djokovic will appear in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters for the 11th time in his career, maintaining his record of reaching this stage every time he participates in his favorite tournament. In round 3, the four-time champion faced qualifier Yannick Hanfmann.

The Serbian legend won 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 after 2 hours and 42 minutes of intense play under challenging conditions. Djokovic broke serve late in the second set and sealed the match with the only break of the deciding set.

Djokovic scored 14 more points than his opponent and made the difference with his strong serving. He saved 2 out of 3 break points and converted 2 breaks from just 3 opportunities.

Djokovic played consistently, hitting 26 winners and committing only 9 unforced errors, dominating baseline rallies. Meanwhile, Hanfmann stayed competitive with effective serving and net approaches.

The qualifier started confidently and aggressively in the first set. Hanfmann controlled the rallies well, held serve in 5 games, broke Djokovic in the third game, and then took the set 6-4.

Djokovic had no room for mistakes in the second set, delivering six solid service games. The German player also kept up the pace and nearly forced a tiebreak.

However, Djokovic accelerated in the 12th game on return, breaking at 15 with a spectacular shot, giving him a big psychological boost. In the final set, the world number one maintained control, especially after breaking in the fourth game.

Djokovic continued to show his resilience with three perfect service games and closed the match at 6-3, securing his place among the last 16 players in the tournament.