Widely recognized, the two biggest rivals have been eliminated together, and netizens are calling out to Djokovic: "Brothers, this is as far as we can help."

Djokovic's chances of winning the Shanghai tournament, once above 90%, have overnight shifted to a now almost certain outcome. This rapid turnaround is linked to what fans and netizens describe as "too much help from the brothers!"

After the Danish player Rune was unexpectedly defeated by Vachier-Lagrave, and Djokovic defeated the young Belgian Berrettini in straight sets, many believed that without Rune as a dangerous disruptor, Djokovic's chances of reaching the final were very high, with his probability of winning the title reaching 90%.

Knowing he is currently injured, why does the public still have such high expectations for Djokovic?

One netizen directly offered an explanation: Even while playing injured, the Serbian star managed to overcome the in-form Munar and the aggressive Berrettini. So, not only is it hard for Vachier-Lagrave, who is also injured, to stop Djokovic in the semifinals, but even if Medvedev, Alcaraz, De Minaur, or Linderholm from the other half reach the final, it would be difficult for them to beat the increasingly resilient Djokovic.

However, some fans and netizens feel it is premature to claim Djokovic has a 90% chance of winning the Shanghai Masters, since Alcaraz and De Minaur are also performing strongly. If either reaches the final, Djokovic cannot be guaranteed victory, so the idea of his championship being increasingly secure is questionable.

When doubts arose, some fans humorously said that if Alcaraz or De Minaur suffer unexpected losses, it means Djokovic is truly the chosen one at this year's Shanghai Masters, destined to claim the title and avoid returning empty-handed like last year.

But others responded, saying hopes are high but reality is harsh; relying on Linderholm to upset the Canadian dark horse or on a struggling Medvedev to beat De Minaur is extremely unlikely—anyone who thinks otherwise just needs to consider the difficulty.

After these two key men's singles matches concluded, many people exclaimed how unexpected the results were!

Before the match between Alcaraz and the Shanghai Masters dark horse Linderholm, everyone thought the Frenchman’s run would end against the Canadian underdog, and that losing without dignity was already a courtesy from the Canadian.

However, judging by Linderholm’s performance in the first set, he seemed deeply dissatisfied with being underestimated before the match, holding his service games tightly and giving Alcaraz no chance to break, playing a solid defensive game challenging Alcaraz to find a way through.

It was expected that this stalemate would lead to a tiebreak in the first set, but unexpectedly, Alcaraz made a mistake during the rallies, got broken by Linderholm, and lost the first set 3-6.

Alcaraz’s performance in the second set was even more surprising, falling behind 0-2 early. Linderholm, like in the first set, played error-free tennis and closed the set 6-4, causing a major upset at the Shanghai Masters.

After Alcaraz’s unexpected defeat, the other favored player De Minaur faced Medvedev. Before the match, many believed the Australian rising star had a strong chance, and that Medvedev was likely to be swept away.

The public’s distrust of the Russian star mainly stems from his poor showing at the Hangzhou 250 event against Wu Yibing, where he squandered a strong position and knocked himself out. So, for some, Medvedev losing to the stronger and in-form De Minaur would be normal; a win would have been big news.

During the first four games of the opening set, as the two players battled evenly, fans in the livestream joked about Medvedev’s apparent strength, predicting he would soon falter and openly expressed “waiting for old Medvedev to lose.”

Surprisingly, from the fifth game onward, it was De Minaur who could not hold up. After Medvedev broke the Australian’s serve, he took the first set 6-4 and moved closer to victory.

The first eight games of the second set saw a similar battle of patience and endurance. To the disappointment of De Minaur’s supporters, he again faltered, and Medvedev closed the match 6-4, causing a shocking upset over the tournament’s 7th seed.

After the match, discussions about Linderholm and Medvedev noted that these two seemed coordinated, refusing to bow to fate and determined to oppose supporters of Alcaraz and De Minaur. Yet, on closer inspection, it felt more like they were helping Djokovic by removing obstacles to his title.

Previously, many believed Djokovic’s fifth Shanghai Masters title was not guaranteed due to Alcaraz and De Minaur, but suddenly, these two widely recognized strong rivals were both eliminated by the fiercely competing Linderholm and Medvedev. “If this is truly a coincidence, I’d rather believe that old Medvedev and young Linderholm are indirectly assisting Djokovic’s championship bid.”

This humorous banter sparked fans and netizens to jokingly call out to Djokovic with the phrase: “Brothers, this is as far as we can help you. If you still can’t win the final title, we’re powerless.”(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Starry Sky)