TENNIS: Djokovic battles past Zverev in thriller to reach China Open semifinals

Novak Djokovic produced a trademark comeback to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-4 6-4 and reach the China Open semi-finals on Sunday, extending his unbeaten record in the tournament.

Playing the ATP 500 event in Beijing for the first time since 2015, the six-time champion was pushed to the limit by reigning French Open and US Open champion Zverev, who delivered 19 aces in the match.

Meeting for the first time in nearly 16 months, Djokovic struggled to contain the German's power in the early stages as the 29-year-old Zverev claimed the opening set, but the Serb gradually worked his way into the match and refused to let his opponent pull away.

"I had a terrible start. Two double faults at the beginning. It was quite cold and honestly, I didn’t feel warmed up, but my fault," Djokovic said.

"I gave him an early break and then it was hard to come back in the first set."

The contest was briefly interrupted by a moment of controversy when Zverev argued that LED advertising signage had gone dark during a rally and requested a video review after losing the point.

Replays showed a section of the signage had switched off, though not as Zverev was missing the forehand. The chair umpire ordered the point to be replayed, prompting a frustrated exchange from Djokovic.

TURNING POINT

The turning point came late in the second set when Djokovic broke at 5-4 to level the match, shifting the momentum in his favour after a tightly contested battle.

With little separating the pair in the third, the Serbian struck again at 5-4 on the Zverev serve, securing the decisive break to seal victory in two hours and 35 minutes.

"I was trying to be aggressive and come to the net, and change up the pace, not giving the same pattern," Djokovic said.

"I am just glad that I held my nerves, played good shots at important moments, 5-4 in the second and third."

The pair had not met since Roland Garros in 2025, where Djokovic won in four sets, and Sunday's encounter again highlighted the Serb's ability to deliver under pressure despite a season disrupted by physical issues.

With the victory, Djokovic moved a step closer to a seventh China Open title and an elusive first trophy of the year, while denying Zverev another opportunity to strengthen his bid for the world number one ranking.

Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals after the Russian defeated Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(4) 6-3 earlier on Sunday.

-Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters