DJOKOVIC CLAIMS 102ND CAREER TITLE AFTER DE MINAUR RETIREMENT
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Agency Report
Novak Djokovic claimed the China Open title on Tuesday after Alex de Minaur retired from the final, extending his remarkable unbeaten run in Beijing and securing the 102nd title of his career.
The 39-year-old Serbian took the opening set 7-6 (7-3) in a tie-break and was trailing 1-0 in the second set when de Minaur was forced to end the contest prematurely.
“I always want to visualise myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing,” Djokovic said during the trophy presentation.
However, he acknowledged that returning to the top has become more difficult, citing a challenging year affected by physical and health issues.
“I was just trying to find the good feeling on the court,” Djokovic said.
The opening set was a gruelling battle that lasted more than an hour, with both players requiring medical timeouts before the second set began.
De Minaur, ranked ninth in the world, won the opening game of the second set before deciding he could not continue.
The exact reason for his retirement was not immediately clear, but the Australian returned to the court following his medical timeout with a white bandage around his left thigh.
“I don’t feel great,” de Minaur told the crowd afterwards.
“I want to say sorry to the amazing fans that came to watch… I didn’t want to finish like this,” the 27-year-old added.
De Minaur had reached the final after Hubert Hurkacz retired with an injury during their semi-final on Monday, while Djokovic advanced after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a spectator with a ball.
The victory extended Djokovic’s perfect Beijing record to 34 wins from 34 matches and earned him a seventh China Open title, his first in the tournament since 2015.
The Serbian endured a demanding route to the trophy, defeating top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals before overcoming home favourite Bu Yunchaokete in a gruelling three-set encounter.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will also end the season with at least one title for the 21st consecutive year.
In the women’s draw, Karolina Muchova defeated former world number one Naomi Osaka on her ninth match point to reach the quarter-finals following a tense three-set battle.
The seventh seed overcame 50 unforced errors during the two-hour, 52-minute contest to defeat Osaka 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (9-7).
Osaka, representing Japan, saved eight match points but was eventually beaten by Muchova’s decisive volley.
“I was shaking. I’m happy I made the last volley… Naomi could be standing here. It’s me, and I’m really grateful for it,” the 30-year-old Czech said.
Muchova will face compatriot Nikola Bartunkova in the quarter-finals.
Earlier, Russia’s Mirra Andreeva defeated Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-2, 6-2 to book her place in the last eight, where she will face fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Alexandrova, ranked 28th in the world, defeated Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-2, ending the Czech player’s hopes of returning to the Beijing final she reached last year.
AFP
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