Novak Djokovic maintained his perfect record at the China Open on Wednesday, defeating Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (2) in his first match since July 7 at the Wimbledon quarterfinals, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
The 39-year-old sixth seed extended his undefeated record at the Beijing tournament to 30-0. Djokovic has won the China Open six times, with his most recent title coming in 2015. Wednesday’s victory marked his first competition since a first-round loss at the U.S. Open on August 31.
Djokovic required a medical timeout during the second set while trailing 3-2, though the nature of the issue was not disclosed. The physio treatment did not appear to affect his performance; he won his next two service games to love and played some of his best tennis after the timeout.
The match featured limited break opportunities, with only one break of serve occurring in regulation play—Djokovic’s break in Borges’ opening service game. In the tiebreak, Djokovic raced ahead and accumulated four match points before converting on the first when Borges hit a backhand into the net.
In other first-round action at the China Open, U.S. Open semifinalist Karen Khachanov defeated Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3. This continues Khachanov’s recent dominance over Auger-Aliassime, having also defeated him at the U.S. Open en route to the semifinals there, where Khachanov ultimately lost to eventual champion Alexander Zverev.
In Beijing, Khachanov broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve in the opening set and was aided by 11 unforced errors from the Canadian. In the second set, Khachanov broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve in the third game and again in the final game on four consecutive points.
Key facts
- Djokovic’s record at the China Open is now 30-0, with his last title there in 2015
- This was Djokovic’s first match since a U.S. Open first-round loss on August 31
- The 39-year-old required a medical timeout in the second set but completed the victory
- Khachanov’s win over Auger-Aliassime marked his second consecutive victory over the Canadian at major tournaments