Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic have been rivals since 2008! Two great friends have met 22 times, with the Serb winning 20 encounters. Their latest clash came in the Shanghai Masters second round.
At 75 years and 139 days, Novak and Marin set the oldest Masters 1000 match in history. They passed Ivo Karlovic and Feliciano Lopez, who competed in Shanghai at combined age of 74 in Shanghai eight years ago.
Djokovic earned a 7-6, 6-4 victory in an hour and 54 minutes, celebrating for the first time since the US Open quarter-final. The Serb took the pivotal points and moved over the top without playing a decider.
Cilic fought well and hit 28 winners and 24 unforced errors. Novak followed that with 21 direct points and 15 mistakes. The 38-year-old forged the advantage in service winners and from the baseline.
Marin reduced the gap with a flawless performance at the net, although it was not enough for a set. Djokovic played better behind the first serve and denied all four break points in the closing stages of each set.
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Cilic played against one break point in the second set, dropping serve and missing an opportunity to pull the break back. They stayed neck and neck in the most advanced rallies, while Novak built the lead in the shortest and mid-range exchanges.
The four-time champion survived a deuce in the third game of the match and closed it with a service winner. Novak served well in games five and seven, and Marin fired a forehand winner at 3-4 to follow the rival's pace.
They held at love in games nine and ten before the Belgrade nativestruggled in game 11. Cilic earned the first break point with a forehand winner but missed a return. Djokovic wasted three game points and offered his rival another break chance.
Marin netted a backhand and allowed Novak to close the game with a forced error. The set went into a tie break, and the Croat fired a backhand down the line winner in the first point for a mini-break.
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Djokovic responded with two mini-breaks before suffering another mini-break at 3-1 after Cilic's forehand winner. The Serb grabbed another mini-break in the sixth point and welcomed the Croat's forehand error in the next one for 5-2.
The four-time champion fired a service winner for four set points and converted the first after the rival's backhand error for 7-6 in 67 minutes. Marin fired a service winner in the first game before facing issues at 1-1.
He sent a forehand wide and experienced a break at 15. Djokovic landed an ace in the fourth game and confirmed the break. Cilic reduced the deficit with a hold in game five, and Djokovic responded with an ace in the next one for 4-2.
Marin landed an ace in the seventh game, and Novak held at love in the next one with a forehand winner for 5-3. Novak served for the win at 5-4 and faced two break points.
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Cilic missed the first after a loose backhand and squandered the second with a wayward forehand. Djokovic converted a match point with a powerful serve, sealing the deal and celebrating his 415th Masters 1000 win.
