BEIJING — World No. 1 Novak Djokovic destroyed Tomas Berdych in a lop-sided contest to win his fifth China Open crown Sunday, while Maria Sharapova overcame Petra Kvitova 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the women's final to move up to No. 2 in the world rankings. Top seed Djokovic took 66 minutes to seal a 6-0, 6-2 win against Berdych, who raised his arms in celebration when he won a game to avoid the ignominy of a double bagel with the Serb leading 6-0, 5-0 and serving for the match. Berdych managed to win back-to-back games, but it was just a matter of time before Djokovic sealed an easy win to continue his love affair with the Beijing tournament where he now has a 24-0 record. Earlier in the women's final, Wimbledon champion Kvitova broke her opponent in the very first game but Sharapova showed greater intensity towards the end to prevail in a contest that lasted two hours and 28 minutes. French Open champion Sharapova broke her Czech opponent twice to claim the first set, but Kvitova unleashed 15 winners in the second to force a decider. Sharapova, having dropped her first set in the tournament, raised her game in the third, racing to a 3-0 lead but could not capitalize on her first match point at 5-2 with an inside out forehand into the net. She eventually served out the match and raised her hands in celebration after Kvitova buried a return into the net. Nishikori wins Japan Open Fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori beat third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 in the final of the Japan Open Sunday to win his fourth ATP Tour title of the season. With a typhoon bearing down on the Japanese capital, Nishikori won his second straight tournament and the seventh of his career with a hard-fought victory at Ariake Colosseum. The contest was a contrast in styles, with Raonic relying on his big serve and Nishikori utilizing his speed and mobility to force his opponent into many unforced errors. Raonic had 22 aces in a match that featured few long rallies, while Nishikori managed one. — Agencies
