Novak Djokovic, the legend of the China Open, just barely kept his incredible unbeaten streak alive today, fighting through a nail-biter against Bu Yunchaokete that stretched to three sets and saw him take a medical timeout. That perfect 31-0 record here in Beijing is still intact, but man, it wasn’t easy.
Djokovic Needed More Than Just His A-Game To Win
This wasn’t the clean sweep we’re used to seeing from the six-time champion, especially with him back in the Chinese capital for the first time in 11 years. Djokovic dropped the opening set 4-6, a huge shock and the first time he’s given up a set in the second round here since way back in 2013. You could tell something was off. He had opened up about an ongoing medical condition after an early loss in Cincinnati back in August, and it looked like that was flaring up again. He appeared to struggle with his breathing early in the second set against the home hope, Bu Yunchaokete, even accepting a time violation as he tried to regain his breath between points. He consulted the trainer, just like he did in his first-round win over Nuno Borges. Bu was absolutely on fire in that first set, really taking it to him, and even after Djokovic got an early break in the second, he couldn’t hold onto it. It was tight, but Nole somehow dug deep, dominated the tie-break, and then, credit to him, Bu just couldn’t maintain that insane level in the decider, with Djokovic taking it 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2. Phew.
The Rest Of The Court Is Wild Too, And Zverev Awaits?
Over in the women’s tournament, things are getting spicy. Aryna Sabalenka, who just recently lost her world number one ranking and her US Open title to Elena Rybakina, snagged a comfortable 6-1, 6-3 victory against Mexico’s Renata Zarazua in her first match since those big changes. We also saw wins for Naomi Osaka, Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, and Mirra Andreeva. But it wasn’t all good news on the women’s side, as British number one Katie Boulter fell 7-6 (3), 6-1 to the seventh seed Karolina Muchova. That’s a tough loss for Boulter, especially since she only managed to win a single game against Muchova last month in New York. Back to the men, if Djokovic wants to keep that incredible unbeaten run going and grab another title, he’s very likely going to have to face US Open champion Alexander Zverev next. Zverev has to take on Shang Juncheng on Saturday for his spot in the quarter-finals, but all eyes are already on that potential clash with Djokovic.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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