Beijing (AFP) - Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka was able to overcome Mexican Renata Sarasoa 6-1, 6-3, armed with 11 aces, at the beginning of her campaign in search of the title of the Beijing 1000 Tennis Tennis Tournament, while Serbian Novak Djokovic survived an early exit by turning the tables on Chinese Bo Inchakite, ranked 104 in the world, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2). And 6-2 in the second round on Friday.
Published on: 02/10/2026 - 18:28
She faces world number two Czech Nikola Bartonkova in the second round.
Sabalenka qualified despite a number of direct errors during the match, which lasted 62 minutes, as she clearly outperformed Mexican Sarasura, ranked 94th in the world, as she broke her serve to decide the match in the second opportunity.
The 28-year-old said, "I was just trying to focus on myself, and I tried to remain aggressive offensively in my serve and reception as well."
She added, "I am very happy with the level I performed today."
Japanese Naomi Osaka succeeded in regaining the initiative, and Uzbekistan defeated Maria Timofeeva 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the round of 32.
The four-time Grand Slam champion will face Czech Sara Bielec in the next round.
Russian French Open champion Mira Andreeva overcame a stumble in the first set, defeating Chinese free card holder Yuan Yue 3-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Czech Linda Noskova, Wimbledon champion and runner-up in Beijing 2025, defeated Russian Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 6-1.
In the next round, she will face Uzbek Polina Kudermetova, while Noskova will meet Swiss Viktoria Golubic in the third round.
Among the men, Djokovic survived a difficult test and narrowly defeated Inchakiti, ranked 104th in the world, with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, and reached the quarter-finals.
The confrontation was not easy for the 39-year-old Serb, who is considered one of the most prominent candidates to win the title in China, as he had never lost in Beijing during 31 matches.
Bou, 24, almost ruined the atmosphere in front of his fans in the marathon match that lasted two hours and 52 minutes, after he exhausted Djokovic by constantly pushing him to move on both sides of the back line of the court.
The former world number one needed a timeout for treatment due to pain in his torso, after giving up his lead in the second set, but he held on in the exciting tiebreaker and dragged the match into a decisive third set.
Djokovic regained his usual level in the third set, winning four consecutive games and holding his serve before deciding the match with a successful backhand.
“The atmosphere was great tonight,” Djokovic said in front of the enthusiastic crowd, adding that he “tried to give everything he had.”
He will meet in the quarter-finals with German Alexander Zverev, the first seed in the tournament, or Chinese Shang Junzheng, a wild card participant.
The powerful blows of the Russian Daniil Medvedev overthrew the Spanish qualifier, Pablo Carreno Busta, 6-4, 6-2, and secured the sixth seed in the world to face the German Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round.
© 2026 AFP
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