Djokovic looked poised for a more decisive day at the office against Munar, who he beat in straight sets in their only previous meeting (2018 Roland Garros), but the world No. 41 turned the tables in the second set. Looking to reach his first-ever Masters 1000 quarterfinal, Munar scored the crucial service break in the 12th game to force a decider.
On course to play a second three-setter in a row, Djokovic broke back to open the third, claiming an insurance break to give him two chances to serve for the match. The four-time Shanghai champion only needed one, serving out his spot in the last eight in just under three hours.
Waiting for him there is Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, a 26-year-old in the midst of a career-best Masters run. Bergs joined Djokovic in the quarterfinals by winning a nail-biter third-set tiebreaker over No. 31 seed Gabriel Diallo, backing up wins over Sebastian Korda, No. 11 seed Casper Ruud, and No. 19 seed Francisco Cerundolo. Djokovic and Bergs will be facing off for the first time.
