Taylor Fritz advanced to the Rolex Shanghai Masters second round for the third time on Sunday, outlasting Fernando Verdasco 7-6(2), 6-7(5), 6-4.

The 21-year-old claimed his second victory in three FedEx ATP Head2Head encounters against the Spaniard after two hours and 39 minutes, saving eight of 10 break points en route to victory. The Nature Valley International champion improves to 28-25 at tour-level this year.

Fritz will face seventh seed Karen Khachanov for a spot in the third round. Khachanov arrives in Shanghai after a semi-final run at the China Open in Beijing.

Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili recovered from a set down to defeat Radu Albot 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the opening match on Center Court. The 15th seed, who broke serve on four occasions throughout the first-round encounter, will next face Italy’s Marco Cecchinato or Benoit Paire of France.

Competing in his 45th tour-level match of the year (24-21), Hubert Hurkacz defeated Zhizen Zhang 7-6(5), 6-4. The Winston-Salem Open titlist saved all four break points he faced throughout the 81-minute encounter and will meet ninth seed Gael Monfils or Lorenzo Sonego in the second round.

Portugal’s Joao Sousa came from behind to move past Filip Krajinovic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5). The World No. 62 landed 10 aces and claimed 78 per cent of first-serve points (45/58) to earn his first main draw win in five matches at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic not only impressed the Tokyo crowd on Sunday by winning the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, but he made an impression on his opponent in the final, John Millman, too.

“It sound silly to say, but I hope everyone all around the world realizes just how good you are,” Millman said during his post-match speech. “You’re an absolute champion and you’re the type of person that’s going to be remembered forever. Your legacy is continuing to build and will live on long after you finish playing. But I’m sure you’ve got a fair few more years left.”

Djokovic claimed his 76th tour-level title and his fourth trophy of the year. It is the 11th time he has captured at least four crowns in a season. But it’s easy to get lost in the stats and lose sight of Djokovic’s tremendous level.

“I think we’ve been blessed in the game currently with a couple of massive superstars. I don’t want to leave out your Wawrinka’s and Murray’s in this, because that sounds silly to do that. But obviously I’m probably referring to Rafa, Roger and Novak,” Millman said. “Sometimes I feel like these guys are just so good, sometimes, whether it be Novak or Rafa or whoever, we forget how good they are, what they’ve done and what Novak is doing is incredible. My words to him were heartfelt in that as a tennis lover myself, I just admire and appreciate just how good he is and I just wanted to let him know that and I think I said and I hope people realise how good he is and not to take that for granted, because we’re not going to have these types of players forever.”

Djokovic did not take those comments from Millman lightly. The Serbian noted that he does not try to think of himself in that manner or praise himself, but he appreciates the respect from his peer.

“I was very pleasantly surprised and touched with his words. It was very nice of him to say something like that,” Djokovic said. “I try to be humble and live in the present, even though, of course, I do understand that there’s going to be a time when I’m not going to play tennis anymore and the future generations will hopefully remember and talk about me in a positive way and the legacy and the impact that I left behind on this sport can be and I hope to be positive on these guys.”

The 32-year-old became the 10th World No. 1 to win the Tokyo event, and he also pulled to within 1,460 points of Rafael Nadal in the ATP Race To London as he continues his pursuit of a record-tying sixth finish atop the year-end ATP Rankings. But while the Serbian appreciates tennis history, that’s not all that drives him.

“The main source of motivation has to come from inside, rather than external. You play a tournament and you play a match, but that’s probably 10 per cent, maybe 20 per cent of your entire year of playing tennis. Everything else is practice,” Djokovic said. “So you need daily motivation that comes intrinsically and that guides you and moves you when you need to be moved, so to say, when you need to be inspired to go out and play with the good spirit.

“I respect obviously when people say, ‘work hard’, but I’m more for this approach where you work hard, but you bring good spirit into it, you enjoy it. If you do something that you don’t love, it really makes it really difficult to do it in the long run. I have been playing tennis all my life basically and competing in professional tennis for more than 15 years, so I still plan to play for many more years and hopefully I can be healthy and have the heart, mind and soul aligned for this to happen.”

This doesn’t mean that Djokovic does not chase milestones. In fact, he told the media Sunday evening that he wants to be World No. 1 and win tennis’ biggest titles. But not needing those motivators to push him every day allows him to constantly maintain a high level and continue improving.

“The driving force or the biggest motivation is really the love for the game and that has to surface and that has to be the fuel every single day,” Djokovic said. “Of course goals are big, but in my case I try not to make them bigger than the biggest one.”

Djokovic faced few difficulties in his first Tokyo appearance, winning a title on his main draw tournament debut for the 10th time. The top seed did not drop a set during his run.

“It’s unfortunate when you come up against them,” Millman said. “But he’s a superstar and what he’s doing is he’s building a legend that long after he’s finished playing, people will remember just how good he is.”

Dominic Thiem weathered some of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ best tennis on Sunday to win his fourth title of the season 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 and further pad his hard-court resume at the China Open in Beijing.

Thiem, who qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals by reaching the ATP 500 final, broke in the second game of the deciding set to wrestle momentum away for good against the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion, who was going for his first ATP 500 crown.

Thiem was too locked in during the deciding set, and the Austrian, who also beat Roger Federer for the BNP Paribas Open title in March, won his second hard-court title in a season for the first time in his career. The win also marks only the second time in Thiem’s career that he has won four championships in a single year (2016).

Tsitsipas and Thiem had endured bruising baseline battles during their three prior clay-court matchups. But Sunday’s final was nearly the opposite as both were keen to attack from the back of the court and charge forward, even serving and volleying on big points.

They combined for 58 net points, (Thiem: 17/25; Tsitsipas: 19/33) and the final featured more than a few cat-and-mouse points at net that had the Beijing crowd roaring.

Tsitsipas broke in the eighth game of the opener before serving it out. The two, after trading breaks early in the second, were on serve until the ninth game as Tsitsipas served to stay in the set.

The Greek, serving at 4-5, 30/40, had saved five of six break points for the set, including two from 0/40 down. But a Thiem backhand pass clipped the net and landed in, evening the final for the Austrian, and Tsitsipas never recovered. Thiem broke twice to start the third and served out the final.

“He doesn’t let people win. He always finds solutions,” Tsitsipas said.

Read More: Thiem Books Fourth Trip To London

The 21-year-old Tsitsipas was looking to add to his ATP Race To London tally with the third title of his season. But the Greek, with 3,370 points, is still currently in sixth place in the Race and next in line to qualify after the fifth-placed Thiem secured his spot on Saturday. The top eight in the Race will compete at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, to be held 10-17 November at The O2 in London.

Tsitsipas will receive 300 ATP Rankings points and $364,615 in prize money. Thiem earns 500 ATP Rankings points and $733,790 in prize money.

Did You Know?
Thiem picked up his first such victory since beating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in June during the Roland Garros semi-finals.

Roger Federer has the aura of an A-list celebrity when he walks around the grounds at any ATP Tour event. Fans pile around for autographs, cameras click and whirr, and his practise sessions are standing room only.

The energy surrounding Federer is heightened even further at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The second-seeded Swiss is making his eighth appearance at this event, but the adoration he receives from the fans in Shanghai is still just as exciting for him.

”The fans get together [and] really make a conscious effort to show me how excited and happy they are,” Federer said at his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday. “I felt that yesterday at Fan Day. It means a lot to me. You don’t get fans grouping together like this anywhere else in the world.”

Although keeping a low profile at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center isn’t quite possible for Federer, he has heartily embraced the extra attention. He realises that it takes just as much time to sign a tennis ball as it does to explain why you can’t sign one. Federer’s eagerness to make his fans a priority has only deepened their connection with him throughout his 21 years on Tour.

”When somebody asks you a question, you try to answer. When somebody asks you for a picture, you try to take it,” Federer said. “It means so much to any fan because it’s maybe the first time they’ve seen you or maybe they have travelled far just to get a chance to be near you or ask you a question.

”Sometimes you’re more tired than other days. For the most part, I try to lead by example for the new generation of players who I hope are going to be great for the game. I’m aware that I have the chance and the power to motivate, inspire younger children and set a good example. That’s something I have always appreciated and thought was very nice.”

It’s not just the fans who are happy to see Federer, though. The Swiss had a chance to catch up with friend and longtime rival Andy Murray, who also headlines the draw this week. Federer said he’s been closely following Murray’s singles comeback and is optimistic that the Brit still has more great tennis in him.

“It was great to see him again and just chat with him for a little bit,” Federer said. “I think it’s super exciting for the Tour and for us players because he’s very much a guy we like and respect a lot. Doesn’t have enemies. We need guys like him who also lead by example with hard work and toughness and fairness.

”I love seeing Andy back. I also feel like he’s playing better and better, which is going to be great.”

But now that pleasantries have been exchanged, Federer is ready to get down to business. He has a challenging draw that will see him start against Croatian Marin Cilic or Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas, but believes he’s playing well enough to win his third title in Shanghai.

”The draw is tough here,” Federer said. “It also depends on your opponents a little bit. It’s not just every match on my racquet, unfortunately, but I feel like I have good energy left in the tank to go and finish strong.”

Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek continued their impressive start as a team at the China Open on Sunday, beating defending champions Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-3, 7-6(4) to lift their second ATP Tour title as a pairing.

Dodig and Polasek, competing in just their seventh event together, improved to 2-1 in ATP Tour championship matches after snapping Kubot and Melo’s seven-match Beijing win streak in 90 minutes. The unseeded pairing rallied from 2-5 down in the second set and saved a set point at 3-5 before taking the title in the tie-break.

“All the week we had a good time. We played good matches,” said Dodig. “The final was a really exciting match. It was very nice to play in front of a lot of people. We really enjoyed the quality of the match, [it was] very high.

“The first set was really, really good from our side. We started good. The second set we also made the break in beginning. We [had the match] under control. Then they played one really good game, broke back… In the end we were a little bit better in the crucial moments. I think we deserved to win this final even though the match could go both ways.”

Dodig and Polasek improve to 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Kubot and Melo. The Croatian-Slovakian team also defeated their final opponents en route to their maiden trophy as a pair at the Western & Southern Open in August.

Dodig now owns a 15-15 record in ATP Tour doubles finals after picking up his fourth ATP Tour trophy of the season. Alongside the 34-year-old’s trophies with Polasek, Dodig also captured crowns in Montpellier and Lyon (w/Roger-Vasselin). Polasek, who owns an almost identical record in tour-level finals (14-15), also lifted the Kitzbuhel trophy with Philipp Oswald this year.

“We can really appreciate the way we played,” said Polasek. “We practised hard [in the] past 10 days. We already spent the week in Chengdu. I think we came here really prepared. We played well from the first match… It was a really hard [route to the title], beating Klaasen and Venus, Murray and Skupski and Kubot and Melo in the finals. Even the singles guys, Thiem and Fognini.

“We had a tough draw and had to fight through every single match. We are happy about the way we performed. It wasn’t like one match, it was four good matches in a row.”

Kubot and Melo were aiming to become only the second pairing to win back-to-back doubles trophies in the Chinese capital. In 2010, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan became the only team to achieve that feat in tournament history.

Dodig and Polasek receive 500 ATP Doubles Ranking points and split $228,110 in prize money. Kubot and Melo gain 300 points and share $111,660.

The ATP Tour moves to Shanghai for the eighth ATP Masters 1000 event of the year and the conclusion of the three-week Asian Swing. The Rolex Shanghai Masters provides players with the chance to earn up to 1,000 ATP Rankings points, which could prove crucial in the ATP Race To London and ATP Race To Milan.

Shanghai Talking Points

17 of the Top 20 players in the ATP Rankings will compete at the 2019 Rolex Shanghai Masters. The last nine Shanghai titles have been won by three players – top seed Novak Djokovic, second seed Roger Federer and wild card Andy Murray – who are all in the main draw.

World No. 1 and Tokyo champion Djokovic has a 32-4 win-loss record at the event and seeks a 34th ATP Masters 1000 crown, which would put him just one title behind Rafael Nadal in the all-time ATP Masters 1000 trophy standings.

Four of the five 2019 match-win leaders feature at the ATP Masters 1000 event:

2019 Match Win Leaders

*Tsitsipas features in the China Open final on Sunday

Six of the Top seven players in the ATP Race to Milan are in the Shanghai main draw: Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 1), Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 2), Alex de Minaur (No. 3), Denis Shapovalov (No. 4), Frances Tiafoe (No. 5) and Miomir Kecmanovic (No. 7). Tsitsipas has already qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals and is also currently in sixth place in the ATP Race to London, which determines the eight qualifiers for the Nitto ATP Finals.

As far as tournament debuts go, they don’t get much better than Novak Djokovic’s performance this week in Tokyo.

The World No. 1 won his 76th tour-level title on Sunday, defeating Aussie John Millman 6-3, 6-2 to win the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. It is the 10th time the Serbian has lifted a trophy on his main draw debut at a tour-level event.

“It was a fantastic week in every sense. I felt great on the court, felt very welcomed by the Japanese people, off the court as well. They made me feel like at home,” Djokovic said. “Didn’t drop a set, played really well, served great. Just overall, a great experience.”

The top seed arrived in the Japanese capital for his first event since retiring during his fourth-round match at the US Open due to a shoulder injury. But Djokovic showed that he is physically in peak form.

Djokovic did not drop a set at this ATP 500 event, with the closest set, 7-5, coming against home favourite Go Soeda in the second round. In his final three matches, against fifth seed Lucas Pouille, third seed David Goffin and Millman — all of whom have made a Grand Slam quarter-final — Djokovic lost a total of 15 games.

The 32-year-old did not break in his first return game like he did in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. But Djokovic was pretty close, carving a drop shot and then backing it up with a stretch forehand volley into the open court to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

Simply superb from @DjokerNole ?

The World No. 1 is looking good in Tokyo ?

?: @TennisTV | @rakutenopen pic.twitter.com/8TVziRM4qA

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 6, 2019

Millman got to deuce in his first service game of the second set. But after he powered a forehand long to give Djokovic break point, the Serbian took full advantage. Djokovic hammered away at the Aussie’s backhand wing until he forced an error, and from there it was off to the races.

From the early going there were physical rallies, as both players expected. But Millman did not have enough firepower to break down Djokovic’s defensive walls, and that proved critical, leading to more errors from his racquet and growing confidence from the top seed’s side of the court. Djokovic also served well, losing only four first-serve points (25/29).

“He had a great tournament. Considering he was close to losing in the first round of qualies, to get this far, I think he’ll take it. He’s a great fighter. He started off really solid in the match today,” Djokovic said. “We had a tough battle in the first set. [In] the second set I stepped it up, started swinging through the ball even better than the first set. Overall, it was a great tournament for him.”

Djokovic put his foot on the pedal with his third service break of the match as Millman hit a backhand into the net. And he never stumbled, finishing off his victory after one hour and nine minutes when Millman missed into the net. The World No. 1 earns 500 ATP Ranking points to claw within 1,460 points of Rafael Nadal in the ATP Race To London, and he also leaves Japan with $391,430 in prize money.

“I think this is definitely a level higher than the past couple of months in terms of my tennis,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully I can maintain that in Shanghai, as well.”

Millman, a qualifier who saved three match points in the first round of qualifying in Tokyo, was trying to become the fifth Australian to lift the trophy at this event (most recently Nick Kyrgios, 2016) and the first qualifier to emerge victorious on the ATP Tour this season. The 30-year-old, who was pursuing his maiden tour-level crown, takes $196,590 and 300 points.

“It sound silly to say, but I hope everyone all around the world realises just how good you are,” Millman said to Djokovic after the match. “You’re an absolute champion and you’re the type of person that’s going to be remembered forever. Your legacy is continuing to build and will live on long after you finish playing. But I’m sure you’ve got a fair few more years left.”

Did You Know?
Djokovic now stands alone in third place on the ATP Tour this year with 46 tour-level wins, breaking his tie with Roger Federer. The only players ahead of the World No. 1 are Daniil Medvedev (54) and Rafael Nadal (48).

Daniil Medvedev’s presence in the final of ATP Tour events has become as reliable as his baseline game over the past two months. But as the third-seeded Russian looks for his sixth consecutive ATP Tour final at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, he will once again turn to his team in pursuit of another big week.

“My team is a big part of my success,” Medvedev said in his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday. “Of course it’s me holding the racquet [and] playing on the tennis court. But if I would just travel without anybody by my side, I would never be where I am right now.”

Medvedev’s team includes a coach for his game and a coach for his mind. He’s been working on the court with Gilles Cervara since 2017 and began working last year with sports psychologist Francisca Dauzet. Their efforts have yielded a more disciplined player on all fronts. Medvedev admitted he’s more professional in his dedication to the sport and far less likely to get rattled in matches by outside factors he can’t control.

”[Dauzet] has helped me a lot to be more focussed on the tennis court, on the goal to win the match than on other distractions,” Medvedev said. “Even when there are other distractions, I still try to have the main focus on the victory and that’s why I win so much.”

Although not every player speaks about their winning ways as matter-of-factly as Medvedev, he’s racked up more victories than anyone else on Tour this year. The Russian arrives in Shanghai with an impressive 54-17 record and has won 24 of his past 27 matches.

His current hot streak includes his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Western & Southern Open (d. Goffin), first ATP Tour crown on home soil in St. Petersburg (d. Coric) and maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open (l. to Nadal). Medvedev has padded his outstanding season with a title in Sofia (d. Fucsovics) and runner-up finishes in four other events, including his first Masters 1000 final at the Coupe Rogers (l. to Nadal). It comes as little surprise that he currently sits at a career-high No. 4 in the ATP Rankings.

”With the results I achieved… that changed a lot of things inside of me because I always said that experience is key,” Medvedev explained. “Before the US Open, I’d never been in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. So being there, winning these matches, getting in the final and playing this five-set match against Rafa, for sure it stays inside your body, inside your mind. Hopefully for any other tournaments, I can just gain this confidence [and] experience, and be ready for every match I play because of it.”

Medvedev’s recent form has also yielded him far more attention. The Russian admits to enjoying reading articles about himself, but it’s no longer possible for him to take in all of the worldwide coverage about his results. Medvedev is embracing his newfound stardom, but is aware that winning matches is what will keep him in the headlines.

”I actually do not take it as a positive or a negative because it’s kind of normal. I just have to do my best to handle my obligations and then step up on the tennis court and try to win the match,” Medvedev said. “No matter if you drop [in the ATP Rankings] or if you go higher, there are going to be different situations in your life that you have to deal with and still be able to play good on the tennis court. Hopefully I’m just going to be better and better on the court.”