Novak Djokovic produced a trademark comeback to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday and reach the China Open semifinals in Beijing — extending his perfect record at the tournament to 32-0, an Open Era record for consecutive wins at a single event.
The 39-year-old Serbian, a six-time champion playing the ATP 500 event for the first time since 2015, was pushed to the limit by Zverev, the reigning French Open and US Open champion. The pair were meeting for the first time in nearly 16 months, and Djokovic struggled to contain the German's power in the early stages as Zverev claimed the opening set.
Two late breaks decide it
The turning point came late in the second set, when Djokovic broke at 5-4 to level the match and shift the momentum in his favour. With little separating the pair in the decider, the Serbian struck again at 5-4 on Zverev's serve, sealing victory after two hours and 34 minutes of high-quality tennis.
Djokovic called it one of his finest matches of the year and "evidence to me that I can still beat the best players in the world on the biggest stage," after a season disrupted by physical issues.
Records keep falling
The win made Djokovic the first man in Open Era history to win his first 32 matches at a single tour-level event, surpassing Rafael Nadal's 31 consecutive victories at Roland Garros. It was also his 202nd career Tour-level semifinal, and he became only the third man in the Open Era to record a Top-3 win after turning 39.
Zverev, meanwhile, was denied another chance to strengthen his bid for the world No. 1 ranking.
Medvedev awaits
Djokovic now faces Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal, after the former world No. 1 dispatched Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(4), 6-3. A seventh China Open title — and an elusive first trophy of the year — is two wins away.
Sources: Reuters: Djokovic rallies past Zverev to reach China Open semi-finals | Tennis Now: Defiant Djokovic topples Zverev in QF thriller, remains perfect in Beijing at 32-0
The 39-year-old Serbian, a six-time champion playing the ATP 500 event for the first time since 2015, was pushed to the limit by Zverev, the reigning French Open and US Open champion. The pair were meeting for the first time in nearly 16 months, and Djokovic struggled to contain the German's power in the early stages as Zverev claimed the opening set.
Two late breaks decide it
The turning point came late in the second set, when Djokovic broke at 5-4 to level the match and shift the momentum in his favour. With little separating the pair in the decider, the Serbian struck again at 5-4 on Zverev's serve, sealing victory after two hours and 34 minutes of high-quality tennis.
Djokovic called it one of his finest matches of the year and "evidence to me that I can still beat the best players in the world on the biggest stage," after a season disrupted by physical issues.
Records keep falling
The win made Djokovic the first man in Open Era history to win his first 32 matches at a single tour-level event, surpassing Rafael Nadal's 31 consecutive victories at Roland Garros. It was also his 202nd career Tour-level semifinal, and he became only the third man in the Open Era to record a Top-3 win after turning 39.
Zverev, meanwhile, was denied another chance to strengthen his bid for the world No. 1 ranking.
Medvedev awaits
Djokovic now faces Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal, after the former world No. 1 dispatched Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(4), 6-3. A seventh China Open title — and an elusive first trophy of the year — is two wins away.
Sources: Reuters: Djokovic rallies past Zverev to reach China Open semi-finals | Tennis Now: Defiant Djokovic topples Zverev in QF thriller, remains perfect in Beijing at 32-0
