07/30/2021 8:06 AM
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 07/30/2021 8:42 AM
Novak Djokovic had the chance in Tokyo to take the penultimate step towards a historic achievement: the Golden Slam.
However, the world number one capitulated this Friday against Alexander Zverev in one of the semifinals of the Olympic competition and will no longer be able to imitate the German Steffi Graf, the only tennis player who could obtain in a year the four Grand Slam titles and the gold medal at the Games.
After a first set that he won 6-1 and in which his rival was extremely erratic (he made 13 unforced errors), it seemed that
the duel against Zverev, whom he had defeated in six of the eight
, would be a formality for
Nole.
matches that they had played until this Friday.
In the second chapter, the Serbian broke in the fifth game and took a 3-2 lead.
But then Zverev, number five in the ATP ranks, returned from the darkness: he began to loosen his arm and, based on cannon shots, added eight consecutive games that gave him that set (6-3) and put it ahead with ease in the third, which ended up closing 6-1 after two hours and five minutes of play.
Now the German will be measured in the final with the Russian Karen Khachanov, 25th in the ranking and executioner in this tournament of Diego Schwartzman, who defeated the Spanish Pablo Carreño Busta (11th) 6-3 and 6-3 in the other semifinal.
The winner will climb to the highest step of the podium climbed by Andy Murray in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Alexander Zverev, excited after his victory against Novak Djokovic.
(Photo: Tiziana FABI / AFP)
This Friday was just the fourth loss in 2021 for Djokovic, who has won four tournaments this year, including the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
That triplet put him in the race for the Golden Slam, which Steffi Graf achieved in 1988.
For
Nole
, winner of 85 ATP tournaments, the Olympics are still a pending account after four appearances.
In his debut, in Beijing 2008, he won the bronze medal after falling in one of the semifinals with the Spanish Rafael Nadal and then defeating the American James Blake.
In London 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro 2016, he collided with the same adversary: Juan Martín Del Potro.
The Tandilense beat him the first time in the match for third place and the second time, in the first round.
Now the world number one will play again for the bronze against Carreño Busta.
In any case, the Balkan still has a chance to leave Tokyo as Olympic champion, since this Friday he will play the mixed doubles final: together with Nina Stojanovic he will face the Russian couple made up of Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina.
Look also
Tokyo 2020: Dayana Sánchez lost in her debut, but made history for Argentine boxing
Volleyball: Argentina's huge comeback to keep alive the chance to qualify for the quarterfinals at Tokyo 2020
