Novak Djokovic clinched his first victory since Wimbledon with an at-times hard-fought win over Portugal’s Nuno Borges at the China Open.
Six-time champion Djokovic, who is playing the event for the first time since 2015, battled to a 6-3, 7-6(2) win in an hour and 50 minutes. Despite the straight-sets score, the former world No.1 looked jaded during certain stages of the match and appeared to experience some issues with his back. Earlier in the second set, he took a medical time-out for treatment.
It is not the first time the 39-year-old has encountered issues during a match this season. Earlier this year, he spoke about dealing with an unspecified issue that worsens when it is warm. It is not publicly known what the problem is or if it is currently giving him any trouble.
Despite his ailments, he managed to see off Borges without facing a break point. Winning 76% of his service points and hitting 16 winners.
“Serving well and winning free points off the first serve and a high percentage of first serves makes life easier on the court. No doubt about it,” Djokovic told reporters after his latest win.
“When I struggled a bit physically in the second set, I really needed that serve. I got that serve going. It really helped in the crucial moments.
“Then in the tiebreak, it was taking one point at a time and really trying to get that mini break, get ahead early, which I did. When you get ahead 3-0, it’s a different kind of mindset for both players.”
The victory has stopped Djokovic from suffering a fourth consecutive loss on the Tour, something he has experienced only once before in his career. That was in 2007, when he lost five matches in a row.
“I think he played quite well, particularly in the second set,” the Serbian said in praise of Borges. “In his service games, he was aggressive. He was changing the pace, hitting the spots well with the serve. Credit to him as well for a quality match.”
Djokovic has now won 30 matches at the China Open during his career, dropping only three sets. Nearly a third (nine) of these victories were over top 10 players.
Awaiting him in the second round will be home player Bu Yunchaokete, who defeated Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, in his opening match. Earlier this month, Bu qualified for the US Open main draw, beating Rafael Jodar in the first round before losing in the second. Last week he reached the quarter-finals of an ATP 250 event in Hangzhou.
“Playing a Chinese player in China is definitely not fun,” Djokovic said with a smile.
“I’m sure it’s going to be an electric atmosphere. He’s going to have a lot of support. But at the same time, I like my chances when I’m playing this kind of level of tennis. I like my chances really against anyone. So hopefully physically I can be fit and I can be fresh.”
