Novak Djokovic opened his Shanghai Masters campaign with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory against long-time rival and friend Marin Cilic in his first match since his US Open exit.

Djokovic, who suffered a US Open semi-final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz, kick-started his bid for a record-extending fifth title in China by sprinkling sawdust on his hands to combat the humidity, which had him struggling to maintain grip early on.

The 38-year-old absorbed the heavy artillery of former Wimbledon finalist Cilic to earn a hard-fought victory in just under two hours.

"I struggled to find my rhythm from the baseline," admitted Djokovic, who improved to a 40-6 record in Shanghai. "I [lacked] some matches - my last one was at the US Open - so I got a really tough opener against Marin, who when is feeling the ba

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