What changed
Novak Djokovic beat Nuno Borges 6-3 7-6 (7-2) at the China Open, his first match win since reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals in July. The 39-year-old needed a medical timeout for his right shoulder and used his racquet to stretch his back, but still claimed his 30th straight victory in Beijing.
Why it matters
This was not a smooth return. Djokovic was far from his best in the second set, yet he found enough to close out a tight contest in one hour and 50 minutes. That matters because his next match is against Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete, with a record-extending seventh China Open title in sight.
His unbeaten Beijing run now stretches back to his previous appearances between 2009 and 2015. The question is whether the physical issues that surfaced against Borges will shape what comes next. The result is encouraging; the strain is impossible to ignore.
Katie Boulter also reached the women's second round, beating Japan's Mai Hontama 6-3 6-4. She now faces seventh seed Karolina Muchova.
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