Novak Djokovic thrashed Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-2 to reach the men’s semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics. The Serbian has won all four of his matches in straight sets on hard court and will face either Kevin Anderson or John Isner for a place in the final.
The when will the olympics be is a question that has been asked for a long time. The first day of the Olympics was on August 24, 1896.
After four matches at the Tokyo Olympics, Novak Djokovic has yet to lose a set.
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Novak Djokovic is still on track for a ‘Golden Slam’ after brutally putting an end to Kei Nishikori’s Olympic hopes in the semi-finals.
The world number one breezed through 6-2 6-0 to become the first player to win all four Grand Slam championships and an Olympic gold in the same year.
On Friday, he will play Alexander Zverev of Germany in the semi-finals.
In the women’s final on Saturday, Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic will face Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.
Bencic defeated Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-3 in a match that lasted almost three hours in the sweltering Tokyo heat, saving five set points in a 73-minute first set that she won in a tie-break.
After returning to the court, she and Viktorija Golubic defeated Brazilian duo Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani 7-5 6-3 to become the sixth player to reach the finals in both singles and doubles at a Games since tennis was reintroduced to the Olympics in 1988.
Vondrousova, ranked 42nd in the world, had a much more tranquil journey after stunning world number six Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-1 in little over an hour.
Marketa Vondrousova reached the final of the 2019 French Open at Roland Garros, but lost to Ashleigh Barty.
The matches on Thursday started at 15:00 local time (07:00 BST), four hours later than on previous days, after organisers decided to move start timings back in response to player concerns about the heat.
Djokovic seemed unconcerned by the heat as he dispatched Nishikori, Japan’s 2016 bronze medalist, in only an hour and 10 minutes. Nishikori cut an increasingly despondent figure as his chances of earning a medal for the host country were shattered.
After tying Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slam championships at Wimbledon last month, the Serb equaled the Swiss’ 13 singles match Olympic victories.
Djokovic, on the other hand, has never reached an Olympic final, and standing in his way is Zverev, 24, who defeated France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-4 6-1 with a performance nearly as spectacular as the top seed.
“Playing after five o’clock [pm] is a totally different experience. Obviously, there is a little wind, but “Djokovic, 34, remarked.
“It’s still very, very humid – you sweat a lot, but you don’t have the heat, and you don’t have the sun, which is absolutely terrible when combined with the humidity.”
However, world number two Daniil Medvedev, who had previously expressed worries about the heat, was dissatisfied after losing to Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in the quarter-finals.
Following the first set, Medvedev exited the court to change his clothing, like he did after his third-round victory against Fabio Fognini on Wednesday.
“I took off everything I was wearing. I wanted to alter my skin since I was sweating profusely for the first time in my life. It was a disaster “stated a member of the Russian Olympic Committee.
“I was drenched to the point of dehydration. Once I threw the ball and had water in my eyes, I realized I couldn’t throw the ball effectively. It was a difficult game to play.”
Karen Khachanov, a Medvdev compatriot who defeated France’s Ugo Humbert 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-3 in the second semi-final at the Ariake Tennis Park on Friday, will face Spain’s Carreno Busta.
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