Novak Djokovic brushed aside recent physical setbacks to produce a trademark comeback victory, defeating top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the semifinals of the China Open. The six-time Beijing champion, competing in the ATP 500 tournament for the first time since 2015, preserved his unblemished all-time record at the event following an intense battle that lasted two hours and 35 minutes.

The contest began on back foot for the Serbian veteran, who conceded early breaks amid unforced errors and chilly court conditions. Zverev, delivering an authoritative display on serve with 19 aces, secured the opening set and looked poised to dictate terms. The match was briefly halted by technical controversy when the German successfully petitioned for a point replay after an electronic advertising board momentarily went dark during a rally, drawing clear visible frustration from Djokovic.

The momentum shifted decisively late in the second set as Djokovic altered his strategic blueprint, attacking the net and varying his rhythm to prevent his opponent from settling from the baseline. Clinical breaks executed precisely at 5-4 in both the second and third sets allowed the Serb to extinguish Zverev's hopes of cementing his ranking bid. Djokovic now progresses to a high-profile semifinal showdown against Daniil Medvedev, who earlier dispatched Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets.

Concurrently, the women’s tour experienced major disruption as world number one Elena Rybakina announced her withdrawal from the upcoming Wuhan Open due to a persistent foot injury. The setback follows her shocking first-round exit at the China Open at the hands of world number 118 Alina Charaeva. The Kazakh star, who had already missed time in Cincinnati with lower-leg complications prior to her US Open triumph, confirmed she will step away temporarily to recuperate, with a scheduled return planned for the Ningbo Open.

Source: www.aljazeera.com