Roger, Novak advance

Roger Federer said that his devoted band of Chinese supporters helped pull him through a tough first set and into the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals yesterday.

The Swiss defeated David Goffin 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 after the 13th seed from Belgium squandered five set points in the first set.

The 38-year-old Federer plays either Germany’s Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev of Russia in the last eight.

Federer was left shaking his head in the first set and he suffered a rare inelegant moment in the 12th game, slipping on his own sweat -- “a bit embarrassing”, he said.

The Swiss fell awkwardly and was then broken by Goffin, 14th in the world.

But the Belgian lost his nerve despite going 3-1 up in the first-tie break, and Federer roared back to turn the momentum in his favour.

Federer was regularly serenaded by chants of “Roger, Roger, go go go” by local supporters all sitting together in one part of the arena. All were decked out in red.

Federer, who failed to win a Grand Slam this year, said their backing had been key to his revival.

World number one Novak Djokovic made light work of American John Isner and plays promising 21-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the last eight.

The defending champion from Serbia dismissed the 16th seed Isner 7-5, 6-3 in 74 minutes after taming Isner’s booming serve.

The 32-year-old Djokovic is looking imperious, having not dropped a set in claiming the title in Tokyo last week and continuing that perfect record in Shanghai.