Djokovic beats Borges for first win since Wimbledon at China Open

Novak Djokovic beat Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) at the China Open in Beijing on September 30, claiming his first match win since reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals in July. The straight-sets victory extended his unbeaten record at the tournament to 30 matches and took him into the second round, where he is due to face Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete. BBC Sport and Serbian broadcaster RTS reported the result.

The 39-year-old returned to a tournament he last played in 2015, when he won the most recent of his six Beijing titles. This was his first appearance at the China Open in 11 years. His return lasted one hour and 50 minutes against Borges, but the score alone conceals a tighter second set and a medical timeout before Djokovic secured the win.

How Djokovic took control against Borges

Djokovic broke early in the first set and moved 3-0 ahead, according to RTS’s live account. Borges then found chances to get back into the set: with Djokovic serving at 5-2, the Portuguese player earned two break points. Djokovic saved both and closed out the set 6-3 in the following service game.

The second set brought no comparable early lead for Djokovic. Borges held serve to keep the contest level deep into the set, and Djokovic missed a break opportunity while trailing 5-4, RTS reported. Borges subsequently held to ensure he would at least reach a tiebreak. Djokovic then held his own serve to get there, ending a set in which Borges had stayed close without forcing a deciding set.

What was reported about Djokovic’s medical timeout

Djokovic received treatment during the second set. BBC Sport reported that he stretched his back with his racquet between games and took a medical timeout for treatment to his right shoulder. RTS’s courtside account described a physiotherapist examining his abdomen while Djokovic breathed deeply. The accounts describe different aspects of the episode; neither establishes a medical diagnosis.

RTS reported that Djokovic appeared to need more time to recover after longer rallies. Its live account also noted that he continued to win points and hold serve after the timeout. Those observations explain why his condition drew attention during the match, but they do not establish what caused the discomfort or how it might affect his next appearance.

Why the Beijing result matters

The result was Djokovic’s first win since his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July, according to BBC Sport. RTS reported that he had lost his opening matches in Cincinnati and at the US Open before arriving in Beijing. The China Open win therefore ended that sequence of defeats while preserving a separate, much longer record at this tournament.

Djokovic has now won all 30 matches he has played at the China Open, BBC Sport, RTS and Diario AS reported. He won six titles there between 2009 and 2015 and is seeking a seventh. That record gives this opening win historical weight, although the result establishes only his progress to the next round, not the outcome of the tournament.

Before their match, Borges had pointed to that record as a possible source of pressure for Djokovic. RTS quoted him as saying the statistics were entirely on Djokovic’s side and that he would try to enjoy the contest and produce his best tennis. Borges, ranked 49th in the world in RTS’s account, came closest to extending the match in the second set but lost the tiebreak.

Who Djokovic faces next in Beijing

Djokovic’s next scheduled opponent is Bu Yunchaokete, a Chinese wildcard. RTS reported that Bu advanced by beating Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. The meeting will be Djokovic’s second match of this Beijing return and his next chance to extend the 30-match winning streak reported after the Borges result.

For now, the confirmed development is a straight-sets win built on an early first-set break and a decisive second-set tiebreak. The medical timeout is part of the account of how the match unfolded; the reporting does not establish a diagnosis. Djokovic remains in contention for a seventh China Open title, with Bu next in his path.