The six-time champion is now 31-0. That equals Rafael Nadal’s 31-0 start at Roland Garros as the best single-tournament start for men in the Open era.
Djokovic turned the match from the tiebreak and won 7-2. From that point on, his forehand gained consistency and depth, and he won more points in which he had a chance to attack. He then retired in the third set.
Zverev next stage.
The 39-year-old world number 11 reached his record seventh quarter-final in Beijing and the 228th of his career. He also became the oldest ATP 500 quarter-finalist since the category’s inception in 2009, overtaking Roger Federer, who was 38 years and two months old in Basel 2019.
Djokovic defeated Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (2) in his opener. Bo, ranked 104th and a semi-finalist here in 2024, cruised past Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cherundolo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. He remains in contention to become the first Chinese to beat Djokovic.
Djokovic will face either Germany’s Alexander Zverev or China’s Juncheng Shang in Sunday’s quarterfinals. He will have 24 hours more recovery time than his opponent, which may be necessary.