Top News

Djokovic, Wozniacki crowned in Beijing

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-12 09:21

Novak Djokovic of Serbia holds aloft the winner's trophy after defeating David Ferrer of Spain in the final of the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing Oct 11, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

 

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark holds the trophy after winning the final against Vera Zvonareva of Russia at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing Oct 11, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

Serb defends China Open title; new women's No 1 unstoppable

BEIJING - Novak Djokovic can finally enjoy a good night's sleep.

Heavy rain on Sunday night briefly halted Djokovic's charge to become the first man to defend the title at the China Open.

The Serb returned to his hotel with a 3-1 lead over Spanish No 8 seed David Ferrer and had to get up early on Monday morning to prepare for the rest of the match. The early hour was no hindrance to the top seed, though, as he was unstoppable in claiming his second China Open title with a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

Related readings:  World No 1 Wozniacki claims titile at China Open  Djokovic wins rain-delayed China Open final  Rain postpones singles finals to Monday at China Open  Chuang/Govortsova claim women's double title at China Open

Djokovic continued his impressive form in Beijing, taking home the $500,000 winner's check and qualifying for the season-ending ATP Tour Finals in London.

"I'm just happy to win another tournament and make my record here in Beijing even better," Djokovic said. "It's definitely one of the most successful tournaments in my career."

Holding an impressive record in Beijing with two China Open titles and a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as his crowd-pleasing personality, the 23-year-old was easily a favorite among fans at the National Tennis Center.

"There's something special about this place that makes me feel like at home," he said. "The people are very kind and very hospitable. The court surface itself is really suitable to my style of the game."

However, the world No 2 was not entirely satisfied with his performance in the final as both players committed a number of unforced errors.

"I started off really well, but then I lost the momentum, got (Ferrer) back into the match with some unforced errors, and it wasn't a really nice-looking match from both sides," Djokovic said. "I was serving well. Well, that's the only thing, to be honest, I was happy about at the end of the match."

Having emerged victorious in Beijing again, Djokovic travels south for this year's Shanghai Masters, where he will face a tougher challenge from the likes of top-ranked Rafael Nadal and Swiss star Roger Federer.

"In the last two or three months, I'm feeling much more comfortable and confident on the court, playing an aggressive game," said the Serb, who will play his first singles match on Wednesday. "I'm confident that I can still play good tennis, and I have a good chance to get into the final stages of each event I play."

On the women's side, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark celebrated her new world No 1 ranking by capturing her sixth title of the year, outlasting Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Wozniacki's victory earned her a measure of revenge against Zvonareva, who ousted the Dane in the US Open semifinals. Before winning the China Open, Wozniacki claimed titles in Ponte Vedra Beach, Copenhagen, Montreal, New Haven and Tokyo.

China Daily - AFP