Novak Djoković defeated Roman Safiullin 6–3, 6–2 in the Shanghai Masters R16 on hard court, confirming his status as pre-match favourite with odds of 1.10 against Safiullin's 8.93. The Serbian top seed dominated proceedings with a composed display, dropping just five games across two sets against the Russian qualifier. Djoković's control throughout the encounter underscored his continued mastery of the Shanghai hardcourt, where consistency and court positioning proved decisive. The comfortable margin of victory reflected the gulf in class between the world's leading player and Safiullin, who struggled to impose any meaningful pressure on serve or return. Djoković's progression to the quarter-finals maintains his unbeaten record in the round-of-16 stage this week.