FOURTH seed Novak Djokovic battled past a spirited Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, to reach the Shanghai Masters semifinals for a 10th time, setting up a clash with world No. 204 Valentin Vacherot, the tournament’s surprise package.
In blustery conditions, Djokovic was made to work far harder than the scoreline suggested. The Belgian qualifier struck more winners than the four-time Shanghai champion but was undone by a rash of unforced errors at key moments.
“First encounter with Bergs — a great guy,” Djokovic said after the match. “He’s got a lot of firepower in his game. I was a little too passive at times. These are very challenging conditions for all the players. I’m just glad to overcome this hurdle.”
Bergs showed impressive composure in the opening set, saving five set points before Djokovic finally clinched it with an unreturned serve.
The second set was even tighter, with both men holding firm on serve and exchanging exhausting rallies that thrilled the crowd and tested Djokovic’s stamina.
The match’s defining moment came during a stunning rally in which Djokovic fended off five overheads and volleys from Bergs before somehow turning defense into offense to win the point, drawing roars from the Shanghai crowd.
Djokovic eventually closed out the contest on his third match point after one hour and 48 minutes. The world No. 1 will now face Vacherot in a semifinal that pits experience against one of the sport’s most unexpected breakthrough stories.
“Amazing story for him,” Djokovic said of Vacherot. “This tournament has taken out some of the best players in the world. It’s impressive what he’s doing.”
Vacherot’s Fairytale Run
Vacherot produced one of the shocks of the tournament earlier in the day, rallying from a set down to defeat 10th seed Holger Rune 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. The Monegasque qualifier became the second-lowest-ranked player ever to reach an ATP Masters semifinal.
His remarkable run — which includes wins over four seeded players — guarantees him a place in the world’s top 100 for the first time next week. It’s a milestone made more impressive considering Vacherot spent half of last year sidelined by injury.
“I didn’t even come as a qualifier; I came as an alternate,” he said. “Coming back from six months out isn’t easy. You can’t just come back and win tournaments right away — you have to fight through it.”
Rune dominated the opening set before Vacherot turned the match around in the second-set tiebreak with a brilliant backhand crosscourt winner at 5-4. The Danish star then netted a forehand, and Vacherot sealed the set with a clean forehand down the line.
Rune, struggling physically, called for the trainer twice in the deciding set as fatigue set in. Vacherot seized the opportunity to complete a comeback that lasted just under three hours.
“It would mean a lot to play at least one of the guys from the ‘Big Three’ in my career,” Vacherot said, smiling at the thought of facing Djokovic next. / FROM THE WIRES