Novak Djokovic will compete in his fourth Olympic Games semi-final, moving closer to a medal in Paris. Novak faced Stefanos Tsitsipas on Court Philippe-Chatrier in the quarter-final and scored a 6-3, 7-6 victory in two hours, overcoming a massive knee concern and sealing the deal in straight sets.
Stefanos led 4-0 and 5-2 in the second set, outplaying Novak, who required a medical timeout on his troubled right knee. Still, Djokovic bounced back and denied three set points on the return in game nine. The 24-time Major winner pulled the break back and sealed the deal in the tie break, becoming the first player with four Olympic Games semi-finals.
Djokovic defeated Tsitsipas for the 12th time in 14 duels, securing 11 straight wins over the Greek since the end of 2019. Novak played better behind the first and second serve. He lost serve two times in a row in the second set and delivered three breaks, emerging at the top and hoping to recover ahead of the semi-final duel with Lorenzo Musetti.
The Serb held at 30 in the first game of the encounter and reached a couple of deuces on the return in the next one. The Greek avoided break points and held with a powerful serve for 1-1.
Stefanos sprayed a forehand error in the fourth game, facing a break point and getting broken after Novak’s forehand attack and a forced error. Djokovic landed a service winner in the fifth game and closed it with a forehand winner, forging a 4-1 advantage.
Tsitsipas reduced the deficit with a hold at love in game six and reached deuce on the return in the next one with a forehand drive-volley winner. Novak kept his focus and fired a backhand down the line winner, wrapping up the game and moving 5-2 in front.
The Greek extended the set with an unreturned serve in the eighth game, and the Serb served for the opener at 5-3. Djokovic landed a forehand crosscourt winner on a set point, wrapping up the opener and gaining a boost. Stefanos held at the beginning of the second set and created his first break chance in game two after Novak’s forehand error.
Novak Djokovic struggled with a pain in his knee against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Struggling with his movement, Djokovic lost serve and found himself 2-0 behind.
Tsitsipas denied two break points in the third game and held after the rival’s loose drop shot. The Serb received a medical timeout ahead of the fourth game and sprayed errors to lose serve for the second time and fall 4-0 behind.
Novak recovered a bit in the fifth game and pulled one break back at love. The veteran played against three break points in the seventh game, with Tsitsipas looking good to grab his third break and almost secure the set. Djokovic denied them with winners and closed the game with a backhand crosscourt winner.
They served well in games seven and eight, and Stefanos wished for another good hold at 5-3. The Greek landed a forehand down the line winner for three set points and wasted them, keeping the Serb in the set. Djokovic created a break point, and Tsitsipas denied it with a forehand crosscourt winner.
Novak earned the second break point and converted it after Stefanos’ forehand error, surviving and extending the set.
The Serb missed a forehand in the tenth game, standing two points from losing the set.
Djokovic landed a forehand volley winner on a game point, bringing it home and locking the result at 5-5. Tsitsipas ended his downfall with a fine hold in the 11th game, drawing Djokovic’s mistake and moving 6-5 in front. Novak started the 12th game with a drop shot winner and earned three game points with a service winner.
The veteran held at love with an ace, introducing a tie break. Stefanos grabbed an early mini-break in the second point before Novak reduced the deficit with a service winner. Tsitsipas sprayed a backhand error in the fourth point, bringing Djokovic back to 2-2 and hitting a double fault in the next one to fall behind.
The Serb painted a forehand winner in the sixth point for 4-2 before bringing the Greek to the positive side after Stefanos’ backhand down the line winner.
Novak landed a smash winner for 5-3 and passed Stefanos at the net with a backhand down the line winner, generating three match points.
Djokovic converted the first with a service winner, sealing the deal and advancing into the semi-final. Novak will seek a spot in his first Olympic Games gold medal clash, losing the previous three semi-finals in Beijing, London and Tokyo.
Djokovic was the favorite to win the gold in Tokyo three years ago, playing well before the semi-final and building the advantage against Alexander Zverev. However, Novak faded from the court and dropped ten of the final 11 games, suffering a tough loss and missing a medal after falling to Pablo Carreno Busta in the bronze medal duel.