Novak Djokovic has fought back from a set down to defeat second-ranked Alexander Zverev and secure a place in the semi-finals of the China Open.
The 39-year-old Serbian overcame the German top seed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a hard-fought quarter-final encounter, setting up a last-four meeting with Daniil Medvedev.
Djokovic’s victory dealt a blow to Zverev’s hopes of ending the year as the world’s number-one ranked player.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion struggled initially against Zverev’s powerful game, with the German taking advantage of an early break to claim the opening set.
Djokovic responded in the second set, raising his level and eventually breaking Zverev at 5-4 to draw level.
The deciding set remained closely contested, but Djokovic produced another crucial break at 5-4 before serving out the match to complete the comeback.
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The victory extended Djokovic’s unbeaten run in Beijing to 32 matches as he moved closer to a record seventh China Open title.
It also keeps alive his hopes of winning his first trophy of a challenging 2026 season, during which he has struggled with both form and fitness.
“These are the kind of moments that I still play for, compete for,” Djokovic said after the match.
He added that competing at the highest level in front of a large crowd remains a major motivation for him.
Djokovic will face third seed Medvedev in the semi-finals after the Russian defeated Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
In the other semi-final, Hubert Hurkacz will meet Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
Hurkacz defeated Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, while de Minaur recovered from losing the opening set to beat Andrey Rublev 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
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