Overview
- Novak Djokovic beat Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6(2) to improve his all-time China Open record to 30-0 and reach the tournament’s second round.
- The match included a medical timeout and visible physical discomfort that reporters and Djokovic himself acknowledged as a struggle to stay fresh during long rallies.
- Djokovic served at a high clip, produced multiple aces and was not broken in the match, relying on a strong first-serve percentage to close out the tiebreak.
- The victory, achieved on Sept. 30, was his first official match win since Wimbledon and sets up a second-round meeting with Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete.
- A six-time Beijing champion chasing a seventh title, Djokovic’s result preserves his unique China Open streak but leaves questions about whether he can sustain form through the Asian swing and secure his first title of the season.