Novak Djokovic praises Federer following Shanghai Masters loss

Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic lost to rival Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Saturday. Despite the defeat, however, the Serbian world number one has nothing but praise for the Swiss tennis superstar.

“It was definitely one of the best matches he has played against me, that’s for sure,” Djokovic said. “He’s playing as good as ever.”

Djokovic saw his 28-match win streak in China come to an end. Djokovic won five consecutive China Open titles in Beijing and two Shanghai Masters title. He will attempt to finish his season on a strong note with strong performances at the Paris Masters and ATP World Tour Finals.

The Serb said that his main priority for now is the birth of his first child.

“My plan is now to go back home and hopefully become a father,” he said. “(It was) a great, great run. I enjoyed it very much. But the story doesn’t end here. I’ll come back next year. I’ll look forward to win some more matches in China.

“The fans were fantastic, both his fans, my fans. The stadium was packed. The atmosphere was amazing. These kind of matches you enjoy as a player to play. Obviously I want to thank everybody for coming out, especially my fans for being so supportive of me.”