Djokovic fights back at the China Open despite fitness concerns

Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat a Chinese wildcard at the China Open in a match marked by fitness concerns. The Serbian won 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, extending his record winning streak at the tournament to 31 matches. He will face the winner of the match between Alexander Zverev and Juncheng Shang in the quarter-finals.

Bu put Djokovic under pressure early in the first set. At 3-3, the Serbian had to fend off three break points before eventually losing his serve when a one-handed backhand sailed beyond the baseline. He conceded the set 6-4. The pair remained closely matched in the second before Djokovic raised his level in the tiebreak, winning it 7-2.

Fatigue appeared to be affecting the Serbian, who also received treatment at the side of the court. But he stepped up in the deciding set, moving 4-0 ahead before closing out the match. “I had to play very well and serve well at the right moments,” he said on Friday after his win.

In August, Djokovic had revealed that he was dealing with an ongoing health condition, while saying he felt good ahead of this week’s tournament. In his previous win against Nuno Borges, he had admitted that he “struggled a little bit to stay fresh”. His China Open campaign had already shown signs of physical strain; this comeback keeps him moving forward, though it came at a cost.