Novak Djokovic maintained his perfect record at the China Open, capturing his third title in three attempts by defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-6 (4), 6-2, for his 32nd career tournament win.
This was the fourth meeting between the two this year, and all have gone Djokovic’s way. There’s something about this match-up which invites thoughts if not post-mortems on Tsonga’s career; what he might have achieved with a little more of the discipline and tactical acuity which characterizes Djokovic’s game? This match was no exception. Djokovic did not start well and Tsonga had several opportunities to win the first set, but ended up conceding it tamely and fading rapidly in the second.
Tsonga made the brighter start, earning a break point in Djokovic’s first service game after a clean return winner, then another after the Serb double-faulted himself back into trouble. Tsonga played that second break point as finely as can have been expected, only for Djokovic to land the first of two perfectly-weighted lob winners that were the highlights of the match. Djokovic had to save another break point at 1-1, then was in trouble again shortly after, as a clever forehand pass from Tsonga gave him three break points; he converting the first by injecting pace on the forehand for an error.
Unfortunately, Tsonga conceded the break back immediately with a sloppy and somewhat tentative game, more or less inviting Djokovic to step inside the court and take his legs out from under him. It was then Tsonga’s turn to double-fault and struggle on his next service game, following an unbelievable pick-up volley winner—which he hit with the ball almost behind him—by putting a makeable ball into the net. It was a typical Tsongaean mixture of brilliance and fatal indiscipline.
The latter also characterized the first-set tiebreaker. Going 0-3 down with impatient errors, Tsonga then got into an argument with the umpire over a point awarded to Djokovic after a challenge which he felt should have been replayed. Two poor errors from Djokovic made things interesting, but Tsonga threw in a catastrophic double fault and then flubbed a volley sadly into the net. It was one-way traffic from there, with Tsonga’s constant net-rushing starting to look less judicious and effective and more frantic and blundering, like a moth trapped in a lampshade.
Broken twice in the second set, Tsonga had one last chance to get back in it when Djokovic played a poor service game at 4-1. But things would still go the top seed’s way, with Tsonga putting a makeable second-serve return outside the lines. It was game, set, match shortly afterwards, Djokovic serving it out to love in a game highlighted by a gorgeous reflex backhand winner on the stretch.
It wasn’t Djokovic’s finest performance—he did have some errors, murdered a couple of smashes, and wasn’t quite as sharp as we know he can be—but it was still more than strong enough to outclass Tsonga and promise a fine finish to a fine season. The two could meet again in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters; it’s not easy to see it going much better for Tsonga then.