Khachanov Beats Auger-Aliassime Again to Open China Open, as Djokovic Chases Sixth Beijing Title

A familiar result

Karen Khachanov beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the China Open in Beijing on Wednesday, extending a run of recent dominance over the Canadian. Khachanov took the only break of the opening set, helped along by 11 unforced errors from his opponent, then broke serve twice in the second set, including on four straight points in the final game to close out the match.

The result echoes their most recent meeting at the US Open, where Khachanov beat Auger-Aliassime in a four-set second-round match on his way to the semifinals, a run that ultimately ended in a loss to eventual champion Alexander Zverev.

A big two weeks for Auger-Aliassime

The loss caps a mixed stretch for Auger-Aliassime. Just ten days before the Beijing defeat, he had led Canada to a 3-1 win over France in Quebec City, securing his country's spot in the Davis Cup Final 8, set for Bologna, Italy, from November 24 to 29. The China Open first-round exit is a comedown from that high, but the Davis Cup achievement remains intact regardless.

Djokovic's streak on the line

Elsewhere at the same tournament, sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic was scheduled to play his first match since a first-round loss at the US Open on August 31, facing Portugal's Nuno Borges in a night match. The stakes for Djokovic at this particular event are unusually high: he holds a perfect 29-0 record at the China Open and has won the Beijing title six times, most recently in 2015, a run he will look to keep alive as he works his way back from that early US Open exit.