Karen Khachanov extended his winning record over Félix Auger-Aliassime, securing a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the opening round of the China Open on Wednesday. The match saw Khachanov capitalize on 11 unforced errors from the Canadian during the first set, eventually claiming the only service break. He maintained that momentum in the second, breaking his opponent’s serve in the third game and wrapping up the match with four consecutive points in the final game.
This performance follows Khachanov’s impressive run at the U.S. Open in New York, where he defeated Auger-Aliassime in the second round en route to a semifinal appearance against eventual champion Alexander Zverev. For Auger-Aliassime, the result marks a setback following his recent success in Quebec City, where he led Canada to a 3-1 victory over France, helping secure the team’s place in the Davis Cup Final 8, which is scheduled for November 24-29 in Bologna, Italy.
Meanwhile, the tournament schedule continued with sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic preparing for his first match since his opening-round exit at the U.S. Open on August 31. The 39-year-old, who faces Nuno Borges, enters the Beijing event with a perfect 29-0 record and six tournament titles to his name, the most recent coming in 2015.
