Novak Djokovic injury update: Serb clarifies knee situation after concerning scare in Shanghai Open QF
Novak Djokovic battled past Jakub Mensik in the Shanghai Masters quarterfinal. He came through 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 but not before an injury scare, with his left knee giving him some trouble mid-match.
Addressing the issue in his post-match press conference, Djokovic said it was a “strange feeling” having his left knee flare up just for a couple of points in the game.
The Serb was quick to add that he felt fine for the rest of the encounter before expressing hope that the injury would not resurface once his body cooled down.
"Yeah, I mean, it's a strange feeling, to be honest, those couple of points in that game, but after that it was fine," Djokovic said. "So, hopefully when it cools down I'm not going to have any troubles with it."
Notably, Djokovic has already had issues with his right knee this year. He needed to take medical time-outs during his run at the French Open and eventually withdrew from the tournament.
The four-time former Shanghai Masters champ said it wouldn’t be great for him to have his other knee flare up, adding that he was looking to take this one day at a time.
"Because I already have troubles with the right knee, so it wouldn't be great. Yeah, let's see what tomorrow brings," he added.
"China has been always a happy place, I played my best tennis" - Novak Djokovic after making Shanghai Masters SF
Novak Djokovic spoke about his recent run of form, saying he has not been able to play his best tennis during tournaments except for Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.
The Serb said he has made it a point to have a selective schedule and this values the opportunities more seriously when they come his way. He added that China has always been a happy hunting ground for him and he plays his best tennis in the country.
"It means more because I don't get many opportunities," Novak Djokovic said. "I mean, I have a selective schedule, so, and I haven't played at my highest level throughout this year, except maybe few occasions, Wimbledon, Olympics, and so forth."
"So, you know, but China has been always a happy place, a place where I really played my best tennis throughout my career," the Serb said.
Djokovic will take on seventh seed Taylor Fritz for a spot in the Shanghai Masters final. The American had beaten David Goffin in his last encounter.