20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer crashed out of the Shanghai Open with a 4-6, 4-6 loss to 20-year-old Croatian Borni Coric in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-1 to reach the finals and set a face-off with the 20-year-old. While the match will be Coric’s first in a Masters 1000 tournament, Djokovic comes in as the World No.3 and the recently crowned winner of the US Open and the Cincinnati Masters. He will also end the tournament as World No.2 despite the outcome of the finals.
The Serbian last lost a match in August at the Rogers up third round. Speaking after beating the German, Djokovic is excited to get back to his winning ways months after undergoing an elbow surgery.
“Being number two after this tournament is also a great achievement, considering the first four, five months of the year and considering I had the surgery,” Djokovic said. “Where I was about four months ago and where I am today is quite an extreme opposite.”
Coric has never beaten Djokovic in their past meetings, not even in a single set. But he cruised past Federer in a fashionable way, completing two aces and a crosscourt winner. Federer conceded defeat after the match, saying “he served better” and “had more punches on the ball.”
“He had more punch on the ball. He served better,” Federer said. “I got off to a bad start in both sets. That combination is plenty here in Shanghai with fast conditions.”
