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Novak Djokovic won his seventh China Open title in Beijing on Tuesday, which extended his remarkable unbeaten record at the tournament to 34 matches. The 39-year-old Serbian defeated Australian Alex de Minaur in the final after the fifth seed retired with an injury, giving Djokovic his 102nd career singles title.
The triumph was unusual because Djokovic did not face a single match point in either the semi-final or the final. His route to the championship, however, was marked by two matches that ended in extraordinary circumstances.
Medvedev Disqualified in Semi-Final
Djokovic was leading third-seeded Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 5-3 in their semi-final and was serving for the match when the contest was stopped.
During the game, Medvedev hit a ball into the stands after it rebounded from the back wall. The ball struck a spectator in the front row, prompting officials to disqualify the Russian player. Medvedev said the incident was accidental and expressed regret over what happened.
The default handed Djokovic a place in the final without requiring him to complete the match. At the time, Djokovic was just three points from victory and had saved 16 of the 18 break points he faced during the contest.
De Minaur Retires in Final
Djokovic then faced fifth-seeded Alex de Minaur in the championship match. The Australian pushed the Serbian through a tight opening set, but Djokovic eventually took it 7-6(7-3).
De Minaur received medical attention after the first-set tiebreak and returned with his left thigh heavily bandaged. He managed to play one game of the second set before retiring, leaving Djokovic leading 7-6(7-3), 0-1.
The result gave Djokovic his seventh China Open crown and maintained his perfect record in Beijing. He had last competed at the tournament in 2015 before returning this year.
Djokovic's China Open: A Significant Milestone
Djokovic's China Open triumph also marked his 21st consecutive year winning at least one men's singles title. The Serbian had entered the Beijing tournament after a difficult season that included physical problems and an early US Open exit.
Earlier in the tournament, Djokovic produced one of his standout performances by defeating top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter-finals. That victory moved his Beijing record to 32-0 and surpassed Rafael Nadal's previous record for the best winning start at a single tournament in the Open Era.