SHANGHAI — Novak Djokovic pulled off a relatively simple victory at the Shanghai Masters on Thursday, defeating unseeded Zizou Burgess 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the semifinals where he will face 204th-ranked qualifier Valentin Vaccello of Monaco.
The 38-year-old Djokovic struggled in Shanghai’s hot and humid conditions and had vomited in previous matches. After being taken into the third set by Munar in the previous round, he collapsed to the ground from exhaustion and required medical attention.
The only major error against Bergers came when he was leading 5-4 in the second set when he was broken before eventually winning his third match point.
“I should have finished 5-4,” Djokovic said. “It’s been very challenging conditions for all the players these days and I just wanted to stay fresh on the pitch. I’m happy to have overcome this obstacle.”
This is the first meeting between Djokovic and Burgess.
“Man, I have to stop idolizing you,” Burgess said with a smile before the 26-year-old Belgian hugged Djokovic at the net.
According to the ATP, Vaccello defeated No. 10 seed Holger Ruhn 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, becoming the second-to-last semifinalist in the Masters 1000 event in the past 35 years.
“It’s unbelievable,” Vaccello said in an on-court interview. “I didn’t come as a qualifier, I came as a substitute. I wasn’t even sure if I would play in the qualifiers.”
Vacherote sealed the win when Rooney scored on a return serve, then knelt on the baseline and covered the court surface with his hands. Ruane was hobbled by leg cramps in the third set.
