Djokovic sees off Tsitsipas – Olympic men's singles tennis quarter-finals recap

Novak Djokovic’s Gold Medal dream lives on as he produces a stirring restoration from 4-0 down within the second to prevail in 7-3 within the breaker and ebook his spot within the semi finals on the 2024 Paris Video games.

The Serb’s bid for that elusive Olympic title gave the impression to be in jeopardy when he appeared to twist the knee which had required surgical procedure previous to Wimbledon.

Nevertheless, he stormed again from a double break right down to keep away from a decider and get the job completed in straight units.

Djokovic will now meet Lorenzo Musetti within the final 4.

Djokovic coughs up the primary mini break with a forehand lengthy however Tsitsipas returns the praise with a horribly miscued backhand.

The Greek then double faults and Novak takes benefit with a 1-2 forehand punch to steer on the change of ends.

There’s no late twist to flip the set Stef’s manner as Novak darts by means of a clear maintain to take us right into a breaker.

Tsitsipas weapons that large forehand and fires down the primary serve to good impact as he avoids a whole disaster with a much-needed maintain to fifteen.

It’s heartbreaking stuff for Stef.

Some unimaginable defence sees him hoist a tremendous defensive lob to the nook that ends with Djokovic butchering the bounce smash into the online.

It’s 15-30 and the group get behind the Greek who is 2 factors from the set.

Djokovic retorts with clutch serving and, even when Tsitsipas conjures up a beastly forehand up the road to pave a path to deuce, extra hefty serving ensures the highest seed consolidates.

Tsitsipas seems to imply enterprise as a collection of forehands assist clock up THREE set factors.

Nevertheless, a rushed forehand underneath stress blows one and it’s déjà vu on the second.

The backhand then malfunctions on the worst attainable time with a shank into the stands and Djokovic is alive at deuce.

A lightning return from the Serb – an actual characteristic since 40-0 – forces one other error lengthy and out of the blue it’s break again level.

A brutal 1-2 punch bats it away however Stef is struggling to maintain calm now and two overcooked forehands permit the Serb to grab the second break again.

*A REMINDER: the No.8 seed was 4-0 up on this set and cruising towards what gave the impression to be an injured opponent…

The pain-killer Djokovic took actually appears to have kicked in as he’s buzzing round that baseline and displaying no indicators of any situation now.

A chic backhand winner down the road and an ace down the T sandwich two dire returns from Stef to assist the highest seed maintain to like.

It’s an enormous recreation for Stefanos proper right here, proper now as he makes an attempt to serve his manner right into a decider.

Stefanos resists Djokovic’s upturn in motion, type and common well-being with a robust maintain to fifteen to maneuver inside a recreation of forcing the decider.

A luxurious drop shot is adopted by a scientific crosscourt backhand move to counsel Djokovic is starting to seek out type once more.

Tsitsipas seems a tad misplaced however out of the blue ignites with a rasping crosscourt return winner.

Djokovic falters badly with a surprising miss into the online with the court docket gaping after which rifles a forehand lengthy to supply up one other break level.

The Serb’s forehand involves the rescue however Stef prices on to a brief ball to brush away one other forehand that clips the baseline to earn a second chew of the cherry.

The most effective rallies of the match follows however it’s Nole’s drop-shot lob combo that saves the day earlier than a stun volley takes care of the Greek’s determined hot-dog try.

Djoker lands an ace to fend off a 3rd that was once more created by a trademark forehand from the No.8 seed and he one way or the other navigates his manner out of bother from there to remain in contact.

Tsitsipas must play stable and transfer Nole as a lot as attainable.

So, what does he do? Miss the primary serve, hearth off the island and take a look at drop photographs that aren’t his forte.

A wild backhand sums up the catastrophe of a service recreation and Novak takes it to like to grab one of many breaks proper again.

Cue the sit-down, some ache medicine and time for the highest seed to regain some composure.

There’s no apparent therapy through the change of ends and Djokovic jogs to the service line to get on with the competition.

There’s additionally some good motion on the web with an angled volley, however Stef tracks it right down to tease a backhand winner down the road for 30-30.

The Greek one way or the other jabs a backhand return into play after a nasty bounce off the T, however Nole one way or the other contrives to lash a forehand he’d often make in his sleep vast.

It will get worse seconds later as he darts ahead prematurely and guides an improvised volley vast.

Tsitsipas has a double break and Serbian considerations over that knee proceed to lift regardless of his makes an attempt to cover it.

It’s all occurring on the market.

Tsitsipas threatens to undo all of his personal good work with a shocker of a service recreation, permitting Novak to surge to the forecourt and hammer a winner down the road en route to 2 break again factors.

It would not go to the Serb’s script, nevertheless, as Djokovic arrows an odd backhand vast after which jabs one other awkward one out into the identical tramlines.

It out of the blue turns into clear that he has a problem with that knee that he had surgical procedure on pre-Wimbledon.

Stef retains his focus sufficient to consolidate from deuce, however all eyes are actually on Nole, who’s grimacing because the physio assesses the issue.

It’s the primary actually wobbly service recreation from Novak as a double fault and a few aggressive coming back from Tsitsipas tee up a break level.

A clutch serve helps Nole evade it and make deuce however he twice loses his footing attempting to negate thumping forehands and the errors result in a possible lift-off second for Stef as he breaks on the second alternative.

Alarm bells ring for Stefanos as some tentative play is punished by Djokovic as he hunts the early break at 0-30.

Tsitsipas responds with clutch serving to dig his manner out of what was changing into a giant gap to snare the scoreboard benefit firstly of Set 2.

Djokovic fizzes vast on the primary of two set factors and appears on the verge of being pushed to deuce when Tsitsipas booms a forehand to his left nook.

The Serb hoists up a defensive lob after which darts to his proper to claw at a smash on the stretch and one way or the other re-direct a wonderful forehand crosscourt move past his opponent to wrap up the set.

Stef drills a tepid backhand strategy up the road into the online, however Djoker’s hopes of forcing by means of the set from 30-30 fade rapidly because the Greek conjures up a pair of powerhouse serves to carry.

Djokovic will now serve for the set.

Djokovic continues to overwork the Tsitsipas backhand however he will get burnt when the No.8 seed catches a candy one down the road that forces an error for 30-30.

The Greek produces a tremendously deep return and backs it up with a sweeping forehand and drive volley to then make deuce.

Djokovic seems to really feel little stress as a well timed first serve and a beautiful backhand down the road edge him by means of one other maintain.

That’s extra prefer it, however Stef’s going to wish a complete lot extra of the identical to show the tables on this contest.

The Greek manages to dictate the vast majority of the rallies with the help of the primary serve and he pockets a morale-boosting clear maintain when Nole simply fails to pick-up his shock dropper from deep.

It has been an imperious begin from Djokovic.

The 24-time main winner is unquestionably taking part in the perfect tennis of his season right here on the Olympics and Tsitsipas is being given the run round at current.

The ultimate level of the match is an exemplar of how on high the Serb is as he strikes the Greek back and forth with crisp ball-striking off each flanks earlier than an excellent wrong-footing forehand ensures he consolidates to fifteen.

Bother continues to brew on the Tsitsipas serve and it’s no main shock to see Djokovic strike first blood.

The Serb presses his opponent into his backhand wing earlier than scorching a forehand down the alternative line to show up the warmth at 30-30.

Stef makes his personal life troublesome with an overcooked forehand lengthy and the serve can’t assist him out of hazard this time as a rocket of a crosscourt forehand from the highest seed is just too good.

Djokovic is relentlessly attacking that Tsitsipas backhand each on serve and within the rallies.

To this point, it’s stood as much as the problem for the Greek and he does properly to alter course from defence into assault to open up an angle for him to crush a forehand winner down the road and threaten at 15-30.

Djokovic smacks down an ace in response however Tsitsipas has a giant probability to tot up a break level, solely to tug his hefty forehand into the tramlines.

He’s in control of the subsequent rally however jumps within the air as if attempting to telepathically help an tried drop shot to make it over the online. Sadly for him, it doesn’t assist and the poor execution means Nole holds once more.

Tsitsipas is raring to maneuver ahead at each alternative and he swats away an excellent volley earlier than outsmarting the Serb with a stunning cat and mouse tactic on the web.

Djokovic’s curiosity piques from 40-15 down when a forehand flies vast and he presses to deuce with a superb return winner up the road.

Stef struggles to wriggle free in a prolonged alternate round deuce earlier than a miscued return from Nole opens the door for him to land an ace and get on the board.

Tsitsipas presents an early instance of what that ferocious forehand can do with an beautiful crosscourt return winner.

The Greek additionally exhibits the Jekyll and Hyde nature of his backhand, shanking a horrible miscue off court docket earlier than wielding it like a wand to comb a winner down the road.

Stef is on the again foot within the rally at 40-30 as Nole closes the online and he’s unfortunate to not make deuce when a banana shot forehand on the run loops simply lengthy.

Djokovic will serve first on this Olympic quarter-final conflict.

Musetti, recent off a storming run to the Wimbledon semi-finals, triumphed 7-5 7-5 to earn a crack at Novak Djokovic or Stefanos Tsitsipas within the semi-finals.

That is their 14th assembly with Djokovic completely proudly owning the match-up 11-2.

The highest seed has received the final 10 towards the Greek after Stef had triumphed in two of the primary three encounters.

Tsitsipas has received loads of titles on clay – and it’s extensively considered his greatest floor – however he’s misplaced all 5 of their earlier showdowns on the filth, together with two five-setters in each the 2020 semi closing and 2021 closing on this court docket at Roland-Garros.

Whats up and welcome to LIVE updates of the boys’s tennis quarter-final conflict between Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The gamers are due on Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier from 18:00 BST.

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