Novak Djokovic produced another impressive turnaround and prevailed over the number 1 seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Beijing. The Serb showed character in the contested clash, which lasted two hours and 35 minutes, and continues his fight for the seventh title of the competition.
With the triumph, 39-year-old Djokovic improved his unique streak to 32 wins from 32 matches in the Chinese capital. He thus surpassed Rafael Nadal's record of 31 consecutive victories at the French Open for the best start to a tournament in the Open Era of men's tennis.
The victory comes against the backdrop of a difficult year for Djokovic, filled with physical problems and health difficulties. During his previous matches in Beijing against Nuno Borges and Bu Yuncaoquete, he had to take medical timeouts due to discomfort in his shoulder and abdominal area. Early in the season and during the US Open, the Serb also went through serious tests with his physical fitness.
After his dramatic success over Bu in the last round, Djokovic revealed that the season has been a real struggle for him, but not because of endurance, but because of specific health issues. What was pleasing for his fans, however, was his performance in the third set against Zverev, where the Serbian tennis player maintained a high intensity, served steadily and showed that his body is responding better and better to the loads.
„Honestly, this year has been a big, big struggle for me because of a few specific problems that I have. I'm just trying to find different ways to ensure at least a decent physical and health condition, so that I can be on the court and compete with the player on the other side of the net. Most of the matches and tournaments that I played this year were a real test for me in a purely physical sense. This has nothing to do with endurance. People confuse these things. It's not endurance. It's something else - more related to health. I don't want to go into details because then it might seem like I'm complaining or making excuses," Djokovic said.
Nelly said that the key for him remains proper recovery between matches in order to compete at the highest level with the young stars on the tour. The pressure on an opponent like Zverev, who made 19 aces in the match, required full concentration and tactically flexible decisions, including going to the net and serving-volleying.
„These are the moments that you still play tennis for. The motivation is great when you feel good and can compete on par with the best in the world in front of 15,000 people. Yes, the year is difficult for various reasons, but I still make the youngsters work hard to earn their money (laughs). I'm just glad that I can endure and get through this. I always try to be extremely meticulous in taking care of my body and invest a lot of hours on and off the court to make sure that my body is prepared and well-restored. But you can't fight with age, things are different now and I have to adapt my approach. I'm glad that my body can withstand this load and I feel good, ready for the next battle," the Serb added.
In the battle for a place in the final, Novak Djokovic will face another former world number 1 – Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Francisco Cerundolo in the quarterfinals with 7-6(4), 6-3. Djokovic leads with 10-5 wins in their direct matches, and the upcoming duel promises another spectacular clash of the highest class.