Novak Djokovic refused to let a perfect Beijing record slip. The 39-year-old Serbian beat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday evening at the China Open, a two-hour, 35-minute win that put him into the semi-finals and stretched his start in the Chinese capital to 32-0.
That is the best opening run in men’s singles at a tour-level event in the Open Era. Djokovic had been level with Rafael Nadal, who won his first 31 matches at Roland Garros. One more victory in Beijing has taken the Serbian past his old rival on that list, and it keeps a record-extending seventh China Open title in sight.
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