Sat Oct 04 06:10:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Novak Djokovic battled to a hard-fought victory over Marin Cilic in the second round of the Shanghai Masters. At 38 years old, Djokovic, playing his first tournament since the US Open, won 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 against the 37-year-old Cilic. The combined age was a record for an ATP Masters 1000 match. Djokovic acknowledged the grueling nature of the match and praised his serving. He will face Yannick Hanfmann in the next round. In other matches, Ben Shelton lost to David Goffin, and Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament.

**News Article:**

**Djokovic Endures Grueling Battle to Advance at Shanghai Masters**

Shanghai, China – Novak Djokovic survived a tough second-round encounter against fellow veteran Marin Cilic at the Shanghai Masters, securing a 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory. The match, marking Djokovic’s return to tournament play since the US Open, saw the 38-year-old Serb pushed to his limits by the 37-year-old Croatian.

The combined age of the competitors set a new record for an ATP Masters 1000 event. Djokovic admitted to “suffering a lot” during the match, highlighting Cilic’s strong performance, particularly in the first set.

“It was a very close match,” Djokovic said. “He was probably the better player for the first set and he didn’t give me time to breathe.”

Djokovic credited his strong serving for pulling him through the tough contest. He now advances to the third round where he will face German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann.

Meanwhile, American Ben Shelton suffered a 6-2 6-4 defeat to David Goffin, hampered by a shoulder injury. World number one Carlos Alcaraz had earlier withdrawn from the tournament due to physical issues.

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