Shanghai Masters: Europeans take the Chinese court

The Chinese metropolis, Shanghai is ready for its two big semifinal matches. As the four European men occupy the tennis courts at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena and the Chinese would gather to spend their Saturday watching them play. The ‘Resurged King’, Novak Djokovic will take on the German lad, Alexandre Zverev. Djokovic lost to Zverev in their last meeting in Rome.  The maestro had prosperously reached the last four of the Shanghai Masters. “Obviously it’s great to finally officially make it and obviously be part of the eight best again, which is an elite group”, Zverev said. “It is kind of the goal for everyone at the beginning of the season. It means a lot because I have kind of played only the biggest tournaments. I don’t want to stop here. There is still a lot more tennis going on ’til the end of the year.

It is beyond the bounds of possibility for Djokovic to get knocked out from a tournament. His second half of the tennis season has been incredibly successful. The awaits to a Djokovic and  Federer final in the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic shared his thoughts about his previous meeting with Zverev. “It was a different surface,” Djokovic referred to their meeting in Rome. “I wasn’t, I feel like, playing as well as I’m playing today. But also, he has improved a lot, and he has established himself as a top player. It’s going to be definitely a close match.”

The other semifinal will be played between the number one seed, Roger Federer and the Croatian Borna Coric. Coric decently dwelled over the tennis courts this year. He made it to the semifinals at the Indian Wells and eventually lost to Federer. Coric shattered Federer at Halle Open final. “I played him when he played well at Indian Wells semis, Halle finals,” Federer said. “I won Indian Wells in a really tricky match with windy conditions. At Halle, he played great on the grass which was a surprise because I thought his best surface would be clay or a hard court. But he really showed that he has got it on all surfaces”.

Coric’s hunger to win his second title is insatiable and is all prepared to meet the 20-time major champion. Moreover, the 21-year-old Croat outdid Stan Wawrinka and Juan Martin del Potro in Shanghai this year. “I’m hungry for more,” Coric said. “It’s been a very good tournament for me. I’m playing some of my best tennis, especially against Stan (Wawrinka in the first round) and (Juan Martin) Del Potro yesterday before he got injured. Against Roger, we had two very good matches this year and I won one, so I was very, very happy about that, for sure.”