BEIJING (AP) – Top-ranked Novak Djokovic reached his fifth China Open final and improved his spotless record at the tournament to 23-0 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Andy Murray today.
In the women’s draw, Maria Sharapova overcame eight double-faults, including four as she served for the match, to defeat Ana Ivanovic 6-0, 6-4. She will take on Petra Kvitova in the final after the Czech player beat Samantha Stosur 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
It was Djokovic’s third win over Murray this year and came just weeks after the Serb knocked him out of the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open in a hard-fought, 3½-hour match.
Today’s semi-final didn’t quite reach the same level of quality – the two combined for 43 unforced errors and only 26 winners – but Djokovic proved the steadier player at the key moments and saved four of five break points he faced in the second set.
He’ll play third-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in the final. Berdych won 6-4, 6-1 over Martin Klizan, the qualifier who upset Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.
Overall, Djokovic is on a 24-match winning streak in China, having also won the Shanghai Masters in 2012 and 2013. He has not lost in China since being beaten by Roger Federer in the semi-finals in Shanghai in 2010.
