Novak Djokovic's short message at the net speaks volumes after Shanghai Masters exit

Novak Djokovic told Valentin Vacherot he 'deserved' to win following his defeat at the Shanghai Masters on Saturday. The Serbian star battled through a troublesome hip problem during the clash and ultimately couldn't find the strength required to see off his qualifier opponent.

Djokovic, who turned 38 in May, has been choosy about which tournaments he enters as he looks to carefully manage his schedule during the twilight years of his playing days. The tennis legend enjoyed a brief hiatus from competitive action following his US Open semi-final appearance in September.

He then made his comeback in China this month, hunting down a second ATP Tour crown of the campaign. Djokovic just about saw off Marin Cilic in straight sets during his Shanghai opener, before being pushed to three sets by both Yannick Hanfmann and Jaume Munar in his subsequent outings.

READ MORE: Former tennis world No. 1 who announced retirement aged 23 shares concerning health update

READ MORE: Novak Djokovic explained why he'll never be Rafael Nadal's friend after failed dinner date

Having successfully navigated those two challenging battles, the veteran cruised past Zizou Bergs to book his place in a semi-final clash against Vacherot. However, Djokovic was troubled by his hip complaint from early in the opening set, forcing him to call for a medical timeout when the score stood at 3-3.

He then collapsed to the ground in agony during the first game of the second set, with his rival eventually claiming a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Djokovic could have been excused for offering Vacherot a brief handshake before making a hasty departure after his difficult afternoon on court.

Despite his defeat, the 24-time Grand Slam champion made sure to acknowledge the Monégasque star's achievement with a three-word message at the net. As quoted by the Express, Djokovic said: "You deserve it."

Speaking after the match, Djokovic reflected on the world No. 204's journey. The Serbian said: "I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final.

"Going from qualification - it's an amazing story. I told him at the net that he's had an amazing tournament, but more so, his attitude is very good, and his game was amazing as well.

"So it's all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals, and the better player won today."

Meanwhile, Vacherot couldn't contain his delight. The 26-year-old said: "I'm trying to pinch myself, is this real?

"To have Novak on the other side of the court was, first of all, an invaluable experience for me. I have a hundred feelings right now."

Vacherot is now gearing up for Sunday's final, where he'll face off against his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech. The 30-year-old, who defeated Daniil Medvedev 4-6 6-2 6-4 in the second semi-final, was quizzed on the family reunion.

"I can't even say it's a dream because I don't think even one person in our family dreamt about it," said Rinderknech. "It was a dream that came out of nowhere."

Vacherot's cousin admitted that he was just trying to wear out Medvedev to help his cousin in the final, rather than making it through himself. As quoted by beIN Sports, Rinderknech said: "I was like, you know what?

"Maybe I'm going to lose, but I'm going to fight like crazy. I'm going to make him tired for tomorrow and at least I'm going to help [Valentin] to at least try to start the match a little bit ahead physically.

"Then somehow I got the break and then another one finished the set and then I was like, you know what? I'm just going to try everything and give it my best and somehow it worked out."