2013 China Open top seed Novak Djokovic beat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 on Thursday to secure his spot in the last eight at the ATP World Tour 500 event.
The match lasted one hour and 54 minutes.
Players exchanged breaks in the opening set. Novak broke his rival once again in the 12th game to clinch it 7-5.
Verdasco was more convincing in the second set. He broke twice to level at one-set all.
Nole stepped up his game in the deciding set, raced to a 3-0 lead and kept the advantage till the end to improve to a 16-0 mark at the tournament.
“There was a lack of concentration from my side,” said Djokovic. “I had some chances at the start of the second set, but I allowed him to come back into the match and start playing well. The important thing is that in the third set I regained the focus and the patience also, decreased the unforced errors, and managed to get a win, which is what counts in the end.”
Match statistics: aces (5-4), double faults (2-6), total points won (87-76).
Novak will play against Sam Querrey on Friday (6-1 H2H record). The American eliminated sixth-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka.
Djokovic has won both of their matches in 2013, in R4 of Indian Wells and Round Robin clash in the Davis Cup quarterfinal.
The world no.1 is bidding to win his 4th title in Beijing, having triumphed in 2009-10 and ’12.
Photo: AP
