Djokovic remains eternal, winning his 102nd career title in Beijing. Alcaraz triumphs in Tokyo after injury.
After winning the first set, the Serbian took advantage of De Minaur's withdrawal, but his real feat came in the quarterfinals against Zverev. The Spaniard has lifted a trophy again after eight months.(Handle)
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On the eve of the tournament, it seemed impossible that Novak Djokovic could maintain his incredible career record in Beijing , where he had never lost in his entire career. And yet the Serbian did it and took the 102nd title of his career , resisting the years and the pain (frequent medical timeouts) and fighting against a prohibitive draw that handed him a consecutive streak against Zverev, Medvedev, and De Minaur .
Especially against the German, the future world number one, in the quarterfinals he put in his classic Zen display, winning a second set in which his opponent had served 96% of his first serves, with a break in the final game, before taking the third with another impressive display. Then, in the final, Alex De Minaur's retirement after losing the first set completed the job .
He hadn't lifted a trophy since last November, in Athens. To return to hold one, Djokovic chose the city that has never betrayed him since 2009 and has continued to remain faithful to him: his seventh title in Beijing, with an impressive record of 34 wins and zero losses in the tournament in the Chinese capital . At 39, the Serbian champion can enjoy his longevity: "It's been 11 years since I last played here," he said during the awards ceremony, "but I was also well aware that the reality today is a little different. I always have high expectations for myself and I always try to imagine myself with the trophy in my hands, but especially here in Beijing, the place where I've never lost." "I know that when I feel good and hit the ball well, I can still compete at the highest level," the Serbian continued. "This week was proof of that, after a complicated year with physical and health problems: it means much more than just a trophy, than just a tournament."
Carlos Alcaraz can also rejoice again, having returned to success at the ATP 500 in Tokyo after a difficult few months with a wrist injury . After an uphill start, the Spaniard, former world number one, fought back against Czech Jiri Lehecka, overturning the momentum of the set and taking it to a tiebreak. In the second set, he then controlled the set, making the decisive break in the seventh game for a final score of 7-6, 6-4 .
This is the 27th career title for the Murcian. "I'm really happy to be able to lift a trophy again," he said afterward. "It's been a while since I've done it, and obviously, it's even more special after the injury."
(Unioneonline)