By Chalien Dantes

Novak Djokovic isn’t having the smoothest ride at the Shanghai Masters, but that hasn’t stopped him from pushing forward. On Tuesday, he fought through ankle pain, brutal humidity, and a stubborn Jaume Munar to keep his hunt for a fifth title in the city alive, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.

Djokovic, already dealing with the aftereffects of a draining match two days earlier, one that ended with him vomiting courtside from the intense heat, looked far from his usual machine-like self. Temperatures once again soared over 30°C, humidity hovered around 80%, and the conditions clearly took a toll.

Early in the match, Djokovic broke Munar to take a 3-1 lead, but soon after, he was wincing and calling for a medical timeout, clutching his left ankle. He managed to close out the first set but needed more treatment before the second got underway.

From there, things got even tougher. Djokovic’s movement looked laboured at times, and Munar began to find his rhythm. At 5-4 in the second, the Spaniard pounced, breaking Djokovic to force a third set. The rally that ended the set left Djokovic sprawled on the court, completely drained.

Trainers rushed in to check his vitals, including his blood pressure, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion wasn’t done yet. He got back on his feet and immediately broke Munar to start the third. A second break gave him a 5-2 cushion, and a final hold sealed the win in just over two hours and forty minutes.

It wasn’t pretty, and at times it looked like Djokovic might not even make it through the match, but the Serbian veteran once again proved that his willpower might be his strongest weapon.

Next up for Djokovic: world No. 44 Zizou Bergs, who pulled off a comeback win over 31st seed Gabriel Diallo.