Novak Djokovic has won the China Open in Beijing for a seventh time after Alex de Minaur retired hurt in the final on Tuesday.
The 39 year old Serbian took the first set 7-6(3) in a tie-break and was trailing 0-1 in the second when the Australian stopped play.
De Minaur had taken a medical timeout at the end of the opening set, which lasted over an hour. He returned with heavy strapping on his left thigh, won the first game of the second set, then shook hands with Djokovic.
“I don’t feel great. I want to say sorry to the amazing fans that came to watch. I didn’t want to finish like this,” De Minaur, 27, told the crowd.
It was Djokovic’s 102nd ATP Tour title and his first in Beijing since 2015. The victory keeps his perfect record in the Chinese capital at 34 wins from 34 matches.
The former world No.1 had not played in Beijing for 11 years. He becomes the oldest ATP champion in history at 39 years and 4 months, and extends his run of winning a title for 21 straight seasons.
Djokovic said, “I always want to visualise myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing, a place where I have never lost.
“But I was also aware that reality is a little bit different these days. This year has been challenging with physical and health issues. I was just trying to find a good feeling on the court.”
Both semi-finals also ended early. De Minaur advanced after Hubert Hurkacz retired injured, while Djokovic went through after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a spectator with a ball.
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