Shanghai Masters: Del Potro wages vain battle, Djokovic retains title

Novak Djokovic

In a contest that got progressively better, Juan Martin Del Potro showed great belief and immense power to gradually work his way into an engaging contest with the defending champion Novak Djokovic. Even though the Argentine was hugely popular with the crowd in Shanghai, it was to be an effort in vain. As usual, the Serbian dug deep to find an extra gear when needed to prevail 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3) in a wonderful two hour 35 minute encounter. It was Djokovic’s fifteenth ATP World Tour Master Series title and second in Shanghai. After a couple of very impressive performances against Rafael Nadal and Djokovic, Del Potro can leave Asia knowing that he is ready to step up to the next level.

Djokovic set up an easy opening game with a stinging backhand volley winner, before Del Potro courted a wee bit of trouble in the second game. A drop shot from the Serbian forced the giant Argentine scrambling in vain at the start of the second game. A double fault and a backhand into the net saw Del Potro face an early break point. The world No.5 saved the first, but another followed soon when he sailed a forehand long. Djokovic converted this time when he clipped the outside of line with a forceful winner.

Soon the Serbian imposed his authority over the set. Djokovic saved a couple of breakpoints in the third game, striking winners off both flanks as he lifted the intensity of his game on the strength of an early lead. Del Potro surrendered another break and when Djokovic held his serve in the fifth game, the tower of Tandil was staring at a bagel.

Del Potro saved face with a fighting hold of serve in the sixth game, saving set points along the way. But it was all he could do to delay the inevitable, Djokovic wrapped up the set in 35 minutes when he took it on his serve in the next game. The Argentine was serving at just 50% and losing 15 of 27 service points pushed him into a difficult corner against an opponent in fluid form.

A couple of games into the second set, the match took a strange turn when Djokovic seemed to repeatedly struggle with his footwork for no apparent reason. Del Potro took advantage, forcing an error off the Serbian with a powerful forehand crosscourt to take a 2-0 lead and bring himself back into the contest. As the clock turned past the hour, the match seemed far more evenly poised with Del Potro working his way to a 4-1 lead.

Djokovic crouched low to string a perfectly timed drop volley to hold serve in a tight sixth game, before urging himself with a guttural scream. The Serbian soared on the strength of that game to earn three break points in the next game. Del Potro though, squeezed out five points on the trot to avert squandering his advantage.

Serving to stay in the set, Djokovic held with ease to ensure Del Potro needed to serve out in the ninth game to force the decider. The Argentine did just that, holding to love when Djokovic sailed a forehand return long. It was a significantly improved showing from Del Potro who raised his first serve percentage to 72% and saved all three break points faced to push the match into the decisive third set.

The previous meeting between these two men had gone the distance too. Djokovic needed everything he could muster in the semifinals at Wimbledon this year, before prevailing 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 3-6 in that four hour 43 minute marathon. The quality of this contest was never threatening to reach those levels, but with an important prize on the table, it never lacked in purpose.

At 2-2 in the final set, Djokovic and Del Potro played the best game of the match. But Djokovic survived a probing ten point game including a break point to stay on serve. Del Potro’s forehand let him down a couple of times as the Argentine slipped to double breakpoint in the sixth game. The scent of peril seemed to bring the best out of Del Potro, who once again raised his game at the right time to survive without damage.

A blistering forehand winner up the line from Del Potro got the crowd on its feet, coming as it did after a brutally powerful rally that had the rackets waging an attritional war with every stroke. The eighth game went to deuce as well, but Del Potro found an able ally in his service to ensure that the match remained on edge at 4-4.

The pressure mounted for the Argentine, when he was to serve to stay in the match. This was the third ATP Masters Series final for Del Potro, who was yet to win a masters title in his career. A door opened slightly for Djokovic when the tentative Argentine, serving to stay in the match, slipped to 15-30 in the tenth game.

The world No.2 took advantage of a powerful backhand to stride up to the net and punch a volley to earn two match points to defend his title. The crowd though was in no mood to let it end too soon and got vociferously behind the Argentine. For a moment, it was easy to forget that this was a tour event in China. The packed Stadium Court had the air of a Davis Cup venue eagerly waving blue and white flags.

Somehow, Del Potro found the resolve to hang by the thread and he survived a few very tense moments to hold his serve to 5-5. With neither man willing to budge, it fell upon a tiebreaker to determine the winner of the Shanghai Rolex Masters. A 24 stroke rally produced the decisive point and it was Djokovic who prevailed in the slugfest to earn the first mini-break.

A crisp volley winner from Djokovic helped him consolidate his lead to 5-3. Del Potro sailed a forehand wide to give Djokovic three match points at 6-3. A brief rally later, Djokovic settled the issue with a comfortable backhand winner to remain undefeated in China. It was a fitting match to end a most entertaining tournament, with a final between the two men who were also winners last week in Tokyo (Del Potro) and Beijing (Djokovic).