BEIJING: Novak Djokovic beat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to reach the China Open semi-finals and extend his unbeaten Beijing run to 32 matches.
Djokovic lost serve in the opening game at the National Tennis Centre and could not recover the first set. He broke Zverev in the 10th game of each remaining set to complete the comeback.
Germany’s world No. 2 served 19 aces, but Djokovic controlled his own service games late in the match. The Serbian won 82% of points behind his first serve.
His record represents the best unbeaten start at a single tour-level tournament in men’s singles during the Open Era. Rafael Nadal previously held that mark after winning his first 31 matches at Roland Garros.
Djokovic is seeking a seventh title at the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) 500 event. He returned to the tournament this year for the first time since 2015.
After the match, the 39-year-old described competing with leading players as a source of motivation.
“These are the kind of moments that I still play for, compete for,” he said.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged a difficult year and said he was determined to keep challenging younger opponents. He said playing well in front of a large crowd helped sustain that motivation.
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Zverev’s defeat cost him a chance to strengthen his bid for the world No. 1 ranking.
Sunday’s result paired Djokovic with Russia’s third seed Daniil Medvedev in Monday’s semi-final. Medvedev beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in his quarter-final.
(With input from Reuters)
