Novak Djokovic suffered a straight-sets defeat to Hubert Hurkacz on Friday, bringing his Shanghai Masters campaign to an early end in his opening match, just days after lifting the title at the China Open in Beijing.

The big-serving Hurkacz, who won the Shanghai title in 2023, secured a convincing 6-4, 6-3 victory over the 39-year-old Serbian, who struggled to find his rhythm against an opponent 10 years his junior.

“I didn’t feel myself on the court,” Djokovic admitted after the match.

“It’s a super-quick surface, completely different from Beijing. If you lose your serve, it’s enough to lose a match.”

The former world number one arrived in Shanghai just three days after winning the Beijing title, where he remains unbeaten in professional Tour competition. However, he found conditions challenging in Shanghai, with Hurkacz delivering an impressive performance on a cool evening.

Djokovic appeared uncomfortable between points, frequently bending over and squatting as the energetic Pole maintained his intensity and gave his opponent few opportunities to gain control.

The decisive moment came in the fourth game of the second set, when Djokovic committed a double fault to surrender his serve and allow Hurkacz to take a 3-1 lead.

The Polish player maintained his advantage by holding serve for the remainder of the match, completing the victory in one hour and 28 minutes.

Hurkacz will now face either Italian star Lorenzo Musetti or Chinese wildcard Zhou Yi in the third round of the tournament.

Reflecting on the challenge of facing Hurkacz, Djokovic highlighted the difficulty of returning his opponent’s powerful serve.

“It’s very difficult to return his serve, almost impossible,” the Serbian said.

“I didn’t adjust, and it was a really tough draw for me to play him in the first match-up.”

Hurkacz entered the tournament following a run to the Beijing semi-finals, although he was forced to end that match early because of a muscle strain.

The victory marked Hurkacz’s first win over Djokovic in nine meetings on the professional Tour, making the result a significant milestone for the Polish player.

“It was a challenging match, always,” Hurkacz said.

“I was pleased with how I performed, how I received in important moments.”

Suggested headline: Djokovic Admits He ‘Didn’t Adjust’ After Hurkacz Ends Shanghai Masters Campaign

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