Novak Djokovic on Sunday recorded 32 consecutive wins at the China tournament by defeating Alexander Zverev. This victory not only establishes him as one of the greatest players in tennis history but also places him among the best of this era.
Match Details and Djokovic's Performance
The 39-year-old Djokovic, who has won the China tournament six times, managed to improve his performance after a weak start that included two double faults in the opening game. Zverev won the first set 6-4, but Djokovic, with high effort and focus, won the second and third sets 6-4 and 6-4. The match concluded in two hours and 35 minutes.
After this victory, Djokovic said: "This is probably one of my top two matches this year, alongside the match I played against Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals. I am very happy to have won against one of the best players in the world." This victory allowed Djokovic to reach 32 wins in this tournament, marking the best start for a male player in an event in the Open era, breaking the previous record of 31 matches won by Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
Future Opponents and Status of Other Players
Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, who also won in the quarterfinals by defeating Francisco Cerundolo. In other matches, Alex de Minaur, despite losing the first set, managed to win 12 of the remaining 17 games and defeated Andrey Rublev 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
In the women's section, Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus, seeded second in the tournament, lost in the third round to Nikola Bartunkova 6-4, 6-3. This loss meant that both top seeds in the women's section were eliminated before the round of 16. Bartunkova, currently ranked 34th in the world and participating in this tournament for the first time, achieved victory with a strong performance.
In other women's matches, Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova also advanced easily to the round of 16. Andreeva, the French Open champion, defeated Polina Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1, while Noskova advanced to the next round with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Viktorija Golubic.
On Monday, Zheng Qinwen and Sun Xinran from China will continue their competitions in the women's section. Zheng will face Marie Bouzkova, while Sun will go up against Coco Gauff, the world’s fourth-ranked player.
