De Minaur retires injured, handing China Open title to Djokovic
The Australian number one said he "didn't want to finish like this" and thanked fans.
Alex de Minaur was forced to retire from the China Open final due to injury, allowing Novak Djokovic to claim the title. Both players required medical treatment during the match. Djokovic won a grueling first set tiebreak after 67 minutes, but De Minaur also needed treatment for a potential groin injury. Despite returning to the court, de Minaur was unable to continue playing.
Djokovic, 39, secured his 102nd title by winning 7-6 (7-3), 0-1. De Minaur expressed his regret for having to end the match in such a manner and hoped for a speedy recovery. Djokovic, who had his own health and physical challenges this year, apologized for De Minaur's early exit and praised his performance on the court.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
