Djokovic beats Zverev in Beijing to set up Medvedev semi-final
Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 32 matches by defeating Alexander Zverev in a three-set China Open quarter-final. In a major upset, world No.
Novak Djokovic defeated Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals. The 39-year-old Serbian beat the German world No. 2 in a two-and-a-half hour China Open quarter-final on Sunday, setting up a last-four clash with Daniil Medvedev.
Djokovic's 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory extended his remarkable winning streak to 32 matches. The 24-time Grand Slam champion double-faulted twice in the very first game, dropping serve. He faced 19 aces from the decade-younger Zverev across a tense two hour and 34 minute battle before a packed Beijing crowd.
The match featured a moment of controversy. The umpire agreed to replay a point after Zverev complained about a flicker in the LED panels surrounding the court, a decision that drew boos from the stadium. Djokovic steadied himself, hitting a cross-court winner to break serve and claim the second set, forcing a decider. He held serve to go 5-4 ahead in the final set before breaking Zverev once more to seal the match.
Djokovic described the contest as one of his best of the year, comparing it to his epic Australian Open win over Jannik Sinner. He said the victory was evidence he can still beat the best players on the biggest stage, though he admitted it is hard to consistently play at the highest level like the younger players. The fan favourite stated he needed to play high-risk tennis against Zverev and felt physically pretty good on court after dealing with health issues all year.
Bartunkova's upset
In the women's draw, a significant upset unfolded. Nikola Bartunkova, aged 20 and ranked 34th in the world, defeated second seed Aryna Sabalenka. The 28-year-old Belarusian fell in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, in a third-round match that lasted one hour and 35 minutes.
Sabalenka, who was replaced by Elena Rybakina as world number one weeks ago, had five break point chances in the sixth game of the first set but could not convert. Her frustration showed as she tossed her racquet during a break point in the fourth game of the second set. Bartunkova hit four aces and closed out the match on her first match point when a Sabalenka return found the net.
"I focused on myself, to be calm," Bartunkova said. "She’s a legend … so I’m really happy that I won the match." She advances to face Sinja Kraus in the round of 16.
Semi-final matchups
The men's semi-finals are now set. Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Francisco Cerúndolo 7-6(4), 6-3. The other semi-final will be contested between fifth seed Alex de Minaur and Hubert Hurkacz.
De Minaur beat Andrey Rublev 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, while Hurkacz advanced by defeating Karen Khachanov. In other women's results, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva set up a fourth-round match with Daria Snigur. Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova beat Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 6-1 and will next face world No. 28 Ekaterina Alexandrova. Top seed Elena Rybakina was eliminated in the second round by Alina Charaeva.
Djokovic now turns his focus to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.
