Djokovic claims China title
Azarenka beats Sharapova in women’s match
World number two Novak Djokovic overcame Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets yesterday to win the China Open for a third time.
The 25-year-old Serb defeated the world number seven 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to maintain his unbeaten record at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing and take the winner’s prize of $530,570.
Djokovic has won the China Open every time he has entered, his previous titles coming in 2009 and 2010 before he missed last year because of injury, and his record at the tournament now stands at 14-0.
He is pressing to beat Roger Federer to the year-end number one spot in the world rankings and said he was “delighted” at his latest triumph.
“It’s an amazing feeling to win this trophy in the new stadium,” he said of the capital’s National Tennis Stadium, which had yet to be built the last time he won in Beijing.
Little separated the players throughout the entire opening set. The first four games went to serve before Tsonga made a breakthrough in the fifth game, breaking Djokovic without losing a point.
But the Serb immediately broke back and the next six games went with serve to force a tie break, where Djokovic raced to a 4-1 lead.
Tsonga won two quick points before Djokovic spurned an opportunity while 5-3 ahead, pushing a simple forehand shot well wide.
But two mistakes from the Frenchman, including a backhand half volley into the net, gave the tie break and set to Djokovic.
The first two service games of the second set were held before Djokovic broke in the third and was spurred on to take the next two games, establishing a 4-1 lead, then came from behind to hold serve in the sixth.
Later in the evening, world number one Victoria Azarenka thrashed second seed Maria Sharapova to win the China Open women’s title.
The Belarusian dispatched Sharapova, ranked number two in the world, 6-3, 6-1, in the last Premier Mandatory event of the women’s calendar.
It was Azarenka’s first China Open title in four attempts and her fifth tournament triumph of the season.
Both finalists had made it to the last two without dropping a set and Azarenka is now 7-4 to the good against Sharapova in head-to-heads.
It was the sixth time the two had met in the final of a tournament and the fourth time this year. Azarenka has now won five and lost only one of their title deciders.