Djokovic battles through pain to defeat Cilic in Shanghai

Novak Djokovic advanced to the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday, defeating Marin Cilic 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.

The match in Shanghai lasted one hour and 54 minutes. Djokovic made his first tournament appearance since the US Open, marking his first non-Grand Slam outing since May.

The combined ages of Djokovic and Cilic set a record for the oldest matchup in an ATP Masters 1000 main draw, totaling 75 years and 139 days. Djokovic will face Yannick Hanfmann in the next round.

Meanwhile, sixth seed Ben Shelton exited the tournament after losing to David Goffin. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Shanghai Open due to physical issues.