PARIS-. The Serbian Novak Djokovic defeated its classic Spanish rival Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-4 on Monday in the second round of tennis at the Olympic Gameswhich saw the final duel between two of the greatest tennis players of all time.
With temperatures of 30 degrees turning the Phillippe-Chatrier stadium into a cauldron, Djokovic deployed a tactic to wear down the physically battered 38-year-old Spaniard, who with a lot of self-respect and the support of the French, who have adopted him as their own, reacted in the second set and avoided a bigger score.
The protagonists of one of the great tennis rivalries of this century – they have met 60 times, the most between men in the open era of tennis that began in 1968 – the second-round match at the Olympics could have been their last.
Nadal has not yet confirmed whether the Olympics will be the last tournament of his illustrious career. There has been much speculation about that, given his recent physical problems, including hip surgery last year, and his link to Roland Garros, where he has set a record with 14 titles.
Top seed Djokovic will next face the winner of the match between Germany’s Dominik Koepfer and Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi. The Serbian is seeking the first Olympic gold medal of his career, which includes 24 major titles.
Nadal, for his part, continues competing in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
Source: AP