Djokovic Turns the Tables on Zverev
Novak Djokovic delivered one of the performances of his difficult 2026 campaign on Sunday, coming from behind to beat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the China Open quarter-finals in Beijing. The result also dealt a blow to Zverev's ambitions of finishing the calendar year ranked first in the world.
The opening set was rocky for the 39-year-old Serbian, as Zverev capitalised on an early break to take control. But Djokovic steadied himself and broke at 5-4 in the second set to level the match, then repeated the same formula in the third, breaking again at 5-4 on Zverev's serve to seal a clinical victory. The win extended Djokovic's remarkable unbeaten record in Beijing to 32 matches and moved him within touching distance of a seventh China Open title. "It's been a struggle this year for different reasons," Djokovic said, crediting his determination to keep competing at the highest level alongside the sport's best players.
LED Controversy and the Road to the Final
The quarter-final came with an unexpected subplot. A rule allowing players to stop a point due to courtside LED advertising boards flickering triggered frustration from Djokovic during the match. He told the chair umpire the regulation was among the most ill-conceived rules he had ever encountered, and the issue resurfaced later in the week when Coco Gauff used the same rule in her women's draw match against teenager Xinran Sun, sparking fierce debate online.
Djokovic will now face third seed Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals after the Russian eased past Francisco Cerundolo 7-6, 6-3. The other semi-final pits Hubert Hurkacz against Alex de Minaur. TennisDraw users who backed Djokovic to go deep in Beijing have been rewarded as the veteran continues to defy expectations this autumn.
