Novak Djokovic to play Junchaokete Bu in Beijing — “I have a chance against anyone”
Djokovic beat Nuno Borges to extend his perfect China Open record and warned the home crowd and court conditions will make Bu a tricky opponent.
Novak Djokovic kept his bid for a seventh China Open title on track and is set to face local wild-card entrant Junchaokete Bu in the next round. Bu sits 104th on the ATP list and reached the main draw thanks to a tournament wildcard, but Djokovic warned that the match will not be straightforward.
Conditions and crowd expected to shape the matchup
"It's not fun to play against the Chinese in China. The atmosphere will be electric, the crowd will cheer for him. On the other hand, I like my chances when I play at this level. I have a chance against anyone," Djokovic said.
The Serbian defeated Nuno Borges in the first round to extend his remarkable record in the Chinese capital — it was his 30th victory in as many matches at the China Open.
Djokovic has lifted the trophy every time he previously played in Beijing, winning the event on six occasions. Still, he faces a very different type of opponent now.
"I expect to be physically fresh, we'll almost certainly play in the night session. Yesterday it was a bit cooler than on the practice court, so the balls were a little slower. Their bounce was lower. That suits players like Bu, because he likes to play fast and flat, very aggressively," Djokovic explained.
With the night session, home support and Bu's flat-hitting style, the match has the ingredients for a tense encounter despite the ranking gap.
Photo: press material from the event
