Novak Djokovic has just won his first match since Wimbledon after beating Nuno Borges.
Djokovic has never lost a singles match at the China Open before, as a six-time champion at the ATP 500 tournament.
However, this is the Serbian’s first appearance in Beijing since 2015, and first tournament anywhere since Djokovic lost in the first round of the US Open to Mariano Navone.
Djokovic was able to extend his unbeaten singles record at the China Open to 30 matches, and after beating Borges 6-3, 7-6(2), he admitted being surprised by the crowd in Beijing.
Novak Djokovic claims he did not expect a full crowd for him at the China Open
While Djokovic was able to beat Borges in straight sets, he did still appear to be struggling physically at points during the match and even took a medical timeout in the second set. However, when speaking in an interview after his win over Borges, Djokovic highlighted his serve as something he was particularly pleased with.
“I think serving. Serving was really good for most of the match,” said Djokovic. “In the second set when he started playing better and I struggled a little bit physically to stay fresh.
“When I was serving, in my service games I was dominating and coming through my games quite comfortably, which was helping; getting those high first serve percentages makes the life easier at least in my service games. I played a great tie-break to close it out in two, so very happy with that.”
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Djokovic was then asked about the appreciation he was being shown by the crowd at the China Open and whether he thinks this was related to his recent struggles for form. The 24-time Grand Slam champion dismissed this being the case and instead Djokovic pointed to his record at the tournament, but he did still admit that he was surprised at the number of people present for his first round match in Beijing.
“I don’t think it’s linked to me not producing my best in the last couple of months, I think it’s linked to first of all the appreciation and love and respect they have for this sport, and also for what I have done in my career,” answered Djokovic. “My record has been flawless here, I haven’t played in 11 years but there’s a reason why I love playing in China.
“The way they treat me, the way they support me, I feel really like at home. I honestly didn’t expect a packed house for the first match, 15,000 people. I am surprised still at this age after this many matches in my life, pleasantly, so I’ll do my best to return the love and passion that they have been bringing to this tournament and me.”
Annabel Croft reacts to Novak Djokovic beating Nuno Borges
Djokovic not feeling his best on court has been a familiar sight in recent months, particularly during the North American hard court swing.
Former British number one Annabel Croft reacted to Djokovic’s performance live on Sky Sports, as she also pointed to his serve as something that was crucial for the moments where he needed it the most.
“That was a really competitive match, by the end of it it was teetering and it could have gone to a final set,” said Croft. “Djokovic ended up locking down and however much he felt uncomfortable he found a way to get himself to the finish line.
“His service games actually became more and more efficient, as he looked to close it out and get towards the tiebreak. So much of the match was about the physicality and how uncomfortable he felt. When he really needed to lock down, he did. No matter how he felt sick, he got through some of those 28 shot rallies and it was an intriguing match.”
Djokovic will now have a day’s rest before his second round match, where he will face Chinese wildcard Yunchaokete Bu. This will be a first-time meeting between Djokovic and Bu, which will take place on Friday, October 2.
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