SHANGHAI: Second seed Novak Djokovic came through a tough test of his nerve at the hands of Gilles Simon to reach the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory on Friday.

The 22-year-old, chasing a third successive title in China after last year's Masters Cup triumph and his victory in Beijing last week, needed to show all his resilience in a frantic third set against the French hustler.

The pair traded breaks in a dramatic first four games, Djokovic at one stage going from chest-pounding delight to racket-smashing fury in a matter of three points.