Novak Djokovic made a triumphant return to the Chinese capital on Wednesday, playing his first match in Beijing in 11 years and extending his remarkable record at the tournament to 30 consecutive wins. The 39-year-old tennis great, who has claimed the China Open title six times previously, had to navigate a physical scare in the second set before securing a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) victory over Portugal’s Nuno Borges to advance to the second round.
The win provides a welcome boost for Djokovic, who arrived in Beijing looking to find his rhythm following disappointing opening-round exits at both the US Open and the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati. Despite those recent struggles on hard courts, the veteran champion showed flashes of his vintage form, particularly on his serve, before closing out the contest in a commanding tie-break.
Reflecting on the match after his victory, Djokovic acknowledged the mounting physical challenge as the encounter wore on. "In the second set he started playing better and I struggled a little bit physically to stay fresh," Djokovic said. "When I was serving, I was dominating and going through my games quite comfortably. It was helping getting those first serves in, that high percentage makes my life easier in my service games and I played a great tie-break to close it out in two, so I am very happy about that."
The contest featured a notable moment of concern midway through the second set when Djokovic, trailing 3-2, required treatment on court from the tournament physiotherapist. However, any fears of a physical breakdown were quickly dispelled. The issue did not appear to hinder his movement as the match progressed, and he immediately responded by holding his next two service games to love, playing some of his crispest and most aggressive tennis of the afternoon.
Throughout the match, baseline rallies were tightly contested, with Djokovic securing the only break of serve of the entire encounter during Borges’ opening service game in the first set. As the second set drifted toward a tie-break, Djokovic shifted gears, racing ahead to accumulate four match points. He needed only the first of those opportunities to seal the win when Borges misfired into the net.
Analysing the match for Sky Sports Tennis, expert commentator Annabel Croft highlighted the gritty nature of Djokovic’s victory. "That was a really competitive match by the end of it," Croft said. "Djokovic managed to find a way towards that finishing line and actually his service games became more and more efficient. So much of what we talked about in commentary was the physicality of the match and how uncomfortable Djokovic felt."
With his opening hurdle cleared, Djokovic moves forward into the second round, where a matchup awaits against home favourite Buyunchaokete Bu. The Chinese player earned his spot in the next round by overcoming Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a hard-fought three-set battle that ended 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Tale of the Tape
Boulter sets up Muchova tie
In the women’s draw at the China Open, British No 1 Katie Boulter got her campaign off to a flying start with a straight-sets victory, defeating Japanese qualifier Mai Hontama 6-3, 6-4. Boulter displayed composure throughout the baseline exchanges to nullify the qualifier’s threat and safely navigate her opening assignment.
The reward for Boulter is a formidable second-round encounter against seventh seed and Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova. The upcoming fixture will represent the third career meeting between the two players. It also serves as a swift rematch of their recent encounter at the US Open, where Muchova claimed a straight-sets victory in the second round of the year’s final Grand Slam. Boulter will be looking to turn the tables this time around as she tests herself against one of the tour’s most versatile and dangerous shot-makers.
Meanwhile, in other action across the tournament grounds, US Open semi-finalist Karen Khachanov continued his strong run of form on hard courts. Khachanov produced a dominant display to brush aside Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3, extending his recent head-to-head ascendancy over the Canadian player.