Djokovic, Fed fall in quarters
SHANGHAI — Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic went from perfectly unbeatable to unbelievably beaten in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.
Federer and Djokovic had been a combined 13-0 in Shanghai with a spot in the semifinals on the line, but both lost Friday.
Federer saved five match points in the second set and received a point penalty in the third in the 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3 loss to fifth-seeded Alexander Zverev. Djokovic, the defending champion, lost to sixth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
“He deserved the victory,” Djokovic said of the 21-year-old Tsitsipas. “He was the better player in the second and third sets. I started well in the first set, but I wasn’t sharp enough.”
Djokovic had been 8-0 in quarterfinal matches at the Shanghai Masters, and won four titles. Federer had been 5-0.
Federer received a code violation for hitting a ball into the stands, and then received a point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after flicking a ball into the air when trailing 3-0 in the third set.
When asked about the point penalty after the match, Federer didn’t want to go into any detail.
“So you could write on Twitter, you mean?” Federer answered. “No, it would be nice to write something nice once also about the game.
“Next question.”
The 22-year-old Zverev now leads Federer 4-3 in career meetings. He will next play Matteo Berrettini, an 11th-seeded Italian who defeated fourth-seeded Dominic Thiem 7-6 (8), 6-4.
Tsitsipas faces third-seed Danill Medvedev in today’s semifinal.