Six-time champion advances on his Beijing return
Novak Djokovic defeated Nuno Borges 6–3, 7–6 (2) at the China Open in Beijing on Wednesday, September 30, extending his unbeaten record at the tournament to 30–0 and reaching the second round.
The six-time champion was making his first appearance at the ATP 500 event since 2015. His latest victory continued a tournament winning streak that had stood at 29 matches before this year’s return, according to ATP records.
Djokovic took control of the opening set with an early break. Borges threatened a recovery when he earned two break points later in the set, but the Serbian held serve and preserved his advantage.
The second set was closer. Djokovic could not convert a late break opportunity, leaving the match to be settled in a tiebreak. He won that decider 7–2 to complete the straight-sets victory, according to the match report on his official website.
The result also ended a three-match losing run and gave Djokovic his first win since Wimbledon. Tennis Now reported that he took a medical timeout during the second set. In his post-match comments, Djokovic credited his serving with helping him through the period when he was struggling physically.
Djokovic will next face Chinese wild card Bu Yunchaokete on Friday, October 2, according to his official website. A start time is not included in the confirmed details used for this report.