Djokovic melts as the heat goes on
No Djoke: Zverev apologises but tells rival ‘you can’t have everything’
It was always going to take someone — or even something — remarkable to halt Novak Djokovic’s Golden Slam charge. The world No 1 resolutely insisted it was the former, the 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 semifinal scoreline reflecting the commendable turnaround by bighitting fellow European Alexander Zverev.
The German deserves credit for the way he battled into the goldmedal match but it was hard to ignore the lingering sense something else may have played a part in ending Djokovic’s bid to become the first male player to hold all four Slams and win an Olympic title in the same year.
“No,” replied the 34-year-old, when asked how much of a part the sticky, hot and humid conditions had played in his shock defeat. “It’s just sport. He played better. I’ve got to give him credit for turning the match around. He served extremely well. My serve dropped. My game fell apart.”
Pushed again on whether it was his mind or his body that had let him down, “next question” was the immediate response.
In fairness, it was not just the heat that had left the Serbian, who won singles bronze in Beijing 2008 but has now lost three Olympic semifinals, bristling.
On top of his singles ambitions melting away in the Tokyo evening, he had also just suffered the disappointment of losing another semifinal, Russian pair Aslan Karatsev and Elena Vesnina getting the better of him and compatriot Nina Stojanovic 7-6, 7-5 in the mixed doubles immediately after his singles. Today’s consolation could be two bronzes.
“I feel terrible right now, in every sense,” he said. “But it’s a fresh start, I can recover and can at least win one medal for my country.”
This was the first time in his career Djokovic had played mixed doubles, perhaps reflecting his burning desire to land Olympic gold.
But the ultimate prize he craved was in the singles, and all the money was on him doing so. Djokovic had marched serenely into the semifinals, not dropping a set in six matches to live up to his favourite tag after the withdrawal of a number of his rivals before the competition.
His winning run stood at 24 matches, dating back to his Italian Open final defeat to Rafael Nadal on May 16, while in Grand Slam and Olympic matches this year, he was 27 and counting, having won the Australian, French and Wimbledon titles.
It had started well, too, taking the first set in 37 minutes and gaining the break at 3-2. But then the match flipped on its head and fourth seed Zverev reeled off eight games in a row to level the match and go a break up in the second.
He was powerless to prevent Zverev wrapping up three breaks of serve en route to the match.
The reward for Zverev is a goldmedal match against Karen Khachanov today after the Russian beat Pablo Carreno Busta, of Spain, 6-3, 6-3 in the other semifinal.
“I told him that he’s the greatest of all time,” said Zverev.
“I feel sorry for Novak, but he has won 20 Grand Slams, 550 Masters series or whatever. You can’t have everything.”