Djokovic starts Shanghai with defeat of Cilic

Novak Djokovic returned to tennis more than a month after his last match, with the Serb taming longtime rival Marin Cilic 7-6 (2), 6-4 on Friday to advance to the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

The match in just under two hours qualified as a contest between veterans, with the combined ages of the Serb winner and his Croat rival totalling 75 years, the oldest pair to have ever played at the Masters level in 35 years.

Djokovic delivered three love games in the second set and overcame some last-game serving niggles with a winner on his first match point in stifling humidity which reached 74 per cent.

To combat the conditions, Djokovic sprinkled sawdust on his hands to maintain solid racquet grip.

“I struggled to find my rhythm from the baseline, my last match was at the US Open,” the winner said.

“I got a really tough opener against Marin, who when is feeling the ball, is so dangerous and can beat anybody. He didn’t give me time to breathe.

“I dug myself out of trouble with good serving, which obviously makes me happy. When he’s on form, Marin can beat anyone.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion next faces qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, who handed Frances Tiafoe a fifth straight ATP loss.

Djokovic polished his record over good friend Cilic to 20-2.