China Open: Djokovic fights back to beat Zverev and reach semifinals

Beijing: Novak Djokovic produced another trademark comeback as the six-time champion fought past top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the China Open semifinals and maintain his unbeaten record at the ATP 500 tournament.

This was Djokovic's first time playing in Beijing since 2015, and he was taken to the limit by Zverev, who was the reigning champion at the French Open and the US Open when he entered the match.

The German began more strongly, using his power to disturb Djokovic and thus won the first set 6–4. Nevertheless, the Serbian soon found his rhythm and started to take control of the match away from the top seed.

The decisive point occurred towards the end of the second set. When the score was tied at 4-4, Djokovic increased his performance and broke Zverev's serve in the 10th game before then serving to win the set and level the match.

They were closely matched in the final set, neither of them being able to gain a clear advantage. Yet Djokovic, as before, showed his best tennis when it was most important.

With the score at 4-4, the Serbian managed to break Zverev's serve and thus achieved the deciding break. He then stayed calm enough to serve out the match and thus secured a victory 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

This victory extended Djokovic's unbeaten record at the China Open and placed him in the semifinals as he carries on his attempt to win a seventh title at the tournament.

This win also marked his first encounter with Zverev in almost 16 months; their previous meeting had taken place at Roland Garros in 2025, where Djokovic won in four sets.

The most recent tournament once more showed off the 24-time Grand Slam champion's capacity to perform under pressure, even though his season had been disrupted by physical problems.

For Zverev, that loss brought to an end another chance of boosting his bid for the world No. 1 ranking.

At the same time, Djokovic is still on track to win his seventh China Open title and is also aiming for his first victory of the year.

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