Karen Khachanov Defeats Félix Auger-Aliassime in First Round of China Open

Karen Khachanov, a semifinalist at the U.S. Open, defeated Félix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the China Open on Wednesday. This victory continues Khachanov's recent strong performance against the Canadian player, whom he also bested in the second round at Flushing Meadows, before eventually reaching the semifinals, where he lost to Alexander Zverev, the eventual champion.

In the opening set, Khachanov secured the only service break, aided by 11 unforced errors from Auger-Aliassime. He broke Auger-Aliassime's serve twice in the second set—once in the third game and again in the final game, winning four consecutive points.

Just ten days prior, Auger-Aliassime led the Canadian team to a 3-1 victory over France in Quebec City, earning their spot in the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, scheduled for November 24-29.

In a night match at the China Open, sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic was set to face Nuno Borges. Djokovic, who has not played since his first-round exit at the U.S. Open on August 31, holds an unbeaten record of 29-0 at the China Open and has claimed the tournament title six times, with his last win occurring in 2015.