Novak Djokovic survived a physical scare to keep his perfect Beijing record intact on Wednesday, beating Portugal's Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) in the first round of the China Open for his first victory since Wimbledon.
A streak that will not break
The 39-year-old Serbian, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, extended his extraordinary unbeaten streak in Beijing to 30 matches without a defeat. He has won the China Open six times, most recently in 2015 — this is his first appearance at the event in 11 years — and fans packed the stands to welcome back a firm favourite in China.
It was also Djokovic's first win at any event since July 7 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and his first match since a first-round loss at the US Open on August 31.
Pushing through the pain
The former world number one was far from his best physically. He struggled to pick up points early in the second set, used his racquet to stretch his back between games, and needed a medical timeout while a trainer worked on his right shoulder at 3-2 down. Djokovic had revealed in August that he has been managing an underlying health condition that causes him particular trouble in hot, humid conditions.
Despite that, he battled to victory in one hour and 50 minutes, clinching the match in the tiebreak when Borges, the world number 49, put a backhand into the net.
"It's a great pleasure to be back in my happy place," Djokovic said after the match. "Obviously I'm a completely different person and player than I was 11 years ago when I played here last but thankfully I kept the streak going and hopefully I can do it again."
He will meet wildcard Bu Yunchaokete of China in the second round.
Elsewhere in Beijing
Earlier, US Open semifinalist Karen Khachanov continued his recent dominance over Felix Auger-Aliassime, beating the second seed 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 11 minutes to reach the round of 16. The world number 26 faces either Arthur Rinderknech of France or qualifier Alex Molcan of Slovakia next.
Sources:
- Novak Djokovic beats Nuno Borges to stay perfect at China Open (Sportstar)
- Novak Djokovic starts China Open with first win since July (Sportsnet/AP)
- China Open: Novak Djokovic wins first match since Wimbledon (NewsATW/BBC)
A streak that will not break
The 39-year-old Serbian, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, extended his extraordinary unbeaten streak in Beijing to 30 matches without a defeat. He has won the China Open six times, most recently in 2015 — this is his first appearance at the event in 11 years — and fans packed the stands to welcome back a firm favourite in China.
It was also Djokovic's first win at any event since July 7 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and his first match since a first-round loss at the US Open on August 31.
Pushing through the pain
The former world number one was far from his best physically. He struggled to pick up points early in the second set, used his racquet to stretch his back between games, and needed a medical timeout while a trainer worked on his right shoulder at 3-2 down. Djokovic had revealed in August that he has been managing an underlying health condition that causes him particular trouble in hot, humid conditions.
Despite that, he battled to victory in one hour and 50 minutes, clinching the match in the tiebreak when Borges, the world number 49, put a backhand into the net.
"It's a great pleasure to be back in my happy place," Djokovic said after the match. "Obviously I'm a completely different person and player than I was 11 years ago when I played here last but thankfully I kept the streak going and hopefully I can do it again."
He will meet wildcard Bu Yunchaokete of China in the second round.
Elsewhere in Beijing
Earlier, US Open semifinalist Karen Khachanov continued his recent dominance over Felix Auger-Aliassime, beating the second seed 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 11 minutes to reach the round of 16. The world number 26 faces either Arthur Rinderknech of France or qualifier Alex Molcan of Slovakia next.
Sources:
- Novak Djokovic beats Nuno Borges to stay perfect at China Open (Sportstar)
- Novak Djokovic starts China Open with first win since July (Sportsnet/AP)
- China Open: Novak Djokovic wins first match since Wimbledon (NewsATW/BBC)
