Djokovic rallies past Zverev to reach China Open semi-finals unbeaten in Beijing

Novak Djokovic defeated world number two Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Beijing on Sunday to reach the China Open semi-finals. BBC Sport reported that the 39-year-old recovered from losing the opening set to eliminate the tournament's top seed and keep his bid for a first title of 2026 alive.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOCVy6qP724

Zverev broke in the opening game and retained that advantage to take the first set. Djokovic's response came late in the second, when he broke with a 5-4 lead to force a decider. The final set followed the same pattern: Djokovic struck on Zverev's serve at 5-4 again, this time to end the contest.

The result extended Djokovic's record at the event to 32 wins without defeat. According to Sky Sports, that surpassed Rafael Nadal's 31-match winning start at the French Open as the best opening run by a man at a tour-level tournament in the Open Era. Djokovic had arrived for this year's event with 29 Beijing victories, having last appeared there in 2015, when he beat Nadal in the final for his sixth China Open title.

Zverev had reached the quarter-finals with a much more straightforward performance. AFP reported that he defeated Chinese wildcard Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 on Saturday in 55 minutes, serving nine aces. Shang was ranked 250th and was playing in front of his home crowd. That quick victory set up a meeting with an opponent who had never lost a match in Beijing.

After Sunday's win, Djokovic said competing on equal terms with leading players in front of a large crowd remained a powerful motivation. In comments carried by BBC Sport, he also acknowledged that the year had been difficult, while expressing satisfaction at having worked through another demanding match.

Daniil Medvedev awaits Djokovic in Monday's semi-final after beating Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. The other semi-final will feature Hubert Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur, who advanced past Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev respectively.