In the end, it was the same old story. Novak Djokovic continued his domination over Taylor Fritz and improved his head-to-head record of 10-0 with a win over the American star at the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic was at his absolute best as he raced to a straight-set win in the semifinals of the tournament. While Djokovic demolished Fritz, a crazy stat came to light as Coco Gauff’s ex-coach, Brad Gilbert highlighted the Serb’s domination against Fritz on the ATP Tour.

Gilbert pointed out Djokovic’s sensational effort to maintain his unbeaten record against Fritz. He took to his official X handle and said, “Strong effort from Djoker taking out Fritz Carlton in very tight 2nd set, to make finals in Shanghai, crazy. how many different players he has gotten to double figures on win streak’s now 10-0 vs TF.”

Interestingly, Fritz isn’t the only one who has had a torrid record against Djokovic. Such has been the Serb’s domination over the years that he has an undefeated record against several top players. Some of the renowned names include Gael Monfils, Milos Raonic, and Jeremy Chardy, apart from Fritz. Statistically speaking, Novak Djokovic has a 19-0 record against Monfils and a 14-0 record against Chardy.

With the win over Fritz, Djokovic is one step away from claiming his 100th ATP Tour title. While he didn’t have the best of starts to the 2024 season, it has been redemption time for him after reaching the Wimbledon Championships final and winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. However, Jannik Sinner stands between Djokovic and his 100th ATP title as they brace for an exciting clash.

While Djokovic’s performances in Shanghai have been solid, he has shown glimpses of the same injury troubles with his knee. The Serb made an honest confession as he sets sight on his 100th ATP title win.

Novak Djokovic shrugs off injury concerns

During his quarterfinal win over Jakub Mensik yesterday, the Serb was seen grabbing his left knee and looked in slight discomfort. Djokovic has been struggling with his knee for a long time now. He suffered a knee injury at the French Open and had to withdraw from the tournament midway. Subsequently, he even underwent surgery to repair the damage.

The Serb featured in the Wimbledon Championships after that and also in the Olympics, where he won his first-ever Olympic gold. Although he suffered an early exit at the US Open, he didn’t struggle with his fitness there either. However, after visible signs of discomfort in Shanghai, Djokovic’s fans were concerned.

Clearing the air after the match, the veteran said, “It’s a strange feeling, to be honest, those couple of points in that game, but after that it was fine. So, hopefully, when it cools down I’m not going to have any troubles with it, because I already have troubles with the right knee, so it wouldn’t be great. Yeah, let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

As far as the Shanghai final is concerned, Novak Djokovic will be looking to avenge his defeat against Sinner, having lost in the Australian Open semifinal against him earlier this season. Can the Serb lift his 100th ATP title in Shanghai tomorrow? Let us know your views in the comments below.