Djokovic’s silver lining as Sinner halts his 100 quest

Novak Djokovic is taking plenty of positives from his performances at the Shanghai Masters despite his final defeat by Jannik Sinner, as the Serb felt he had rediscovered his form after a disappointing US Open campaign.

Djokovic, a 24-times grand slam champion, won his first Olympic gold at the Paris Games in August, but then suffered a third-round defeat at Flushing Meadows to Australian Alexei Popyrin.

However, Djokovic looked in fine nick in Shanghai, playing with consistency throughout the tournament to reach his fifth final at the ATP Masters 1000 event, where he was beaten 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 by world No.1 Sinner.

And despite being thwarted in his bid to win a 100th tournament, the Serb suggested: “I think there’s quite a few positives that I can take.

“I think the level of my tennis was really good this tournament, probably best after the Olympics in terms of how I played, how I performed, how I fought.

“I did my best tonight. Under the circumstances, I felt maybe not a hundred per cent fresh, but big credit to Jannik for playing the big points better than me, and that’s what made the difference. He deserved to win, he was just too strong in important moments.

“I still think that in the final today I played pretty good, which gives me reason to believe that I can still play with these guys that are the best in the world.

“Hopefully, I can maintain that level in the upcoming months, and also for the future.”

Djokovic is still seeking to become the third man to achieve the century feat after Jimmy Connors (109 tournament wins) and Roger Federer (103).

The 37-year-old played down the significance of that particular milestone, adding: “That’s a bonus, if that can happen. I definitely wished for it to happen today, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“I’ve got to keep striving to make it happen somewhere in the near future, hopefully. It’s not a live-or-die type of goal for me.

“I think I’ve achieved all of my biggest goals in career. Right now it’s really about grand slams and about seeing how far I can kind of push the bar for myself.”

Djokovic is next in action in the October 16-19 ‘Six Kings Slam’, a tennis exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which will also feature Sinner, Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.