Djokovic Beats Borges in Beijing Opener to Continue Perfect China Run

Novak Djokovic returned to winning ways on Wednesday with a 6:3, 7:6(2) victory over Nuno Borges in the first round of the Beijing tournament, maintaining his flawless career record in the Chinese capital with 30 wins and no losses.

This was Djokovic's first appearance at the tournament in 11 years, and his first win since defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July. Since then, the Serb lost to Jannik Sinner in the London semifinals, was upset by Thiago Agustin Tirante in Cincinnati, and was eliminated in the first round of the US Open following a five-set loss to Mariano Navone.

It was not easy. Djokovic appeared to breathe heavily at times during the second set, clutched his lower back several times, and even took a medical timeout after the fifth game. Despite this, he stepped up a gear in the tiebreak and closed out the match after one hour and 51 minutes.

"When I struggled a bit physically in the second set, I really needed that serve," Djokovic said. "The serve started working for me and it really helped in the crucial moments." The Serb, still searching for his first title of the season, is also attempting to achieve a historic milestone by becoming the first man in the Open Era to win at least one title for 21 consecutive years.

In the next round, he will face Chinese player Yunchaokete Bu, ranked 104th in the world, who received a wildcard. "Playing against a Chinese player in China is definitely not fun," Djokovic smiled. "I'm sure there will be an electric atmosphere and he will get a lot of support. But when I play at this level, I like my chances against anyone. I just hope I will be physically fit and fresh. I still need to analyze him and prepare, but I feel good about my chances."