Tokyo (AFP)
World No.1 Novak Djokovic ended Kei Nishikori's hopes for a gold medal for Japan on Thursday and qualified without delay for the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics.
The Serbian spent only an hour and 12 minutes on the court to eliminate, 6-2, 6-0, the Japanese, former world No. 4 who has now fallen to 69th place and who had won a medal of bronze five years ago in Rio.
Nishikori, 31, was the last Japanese representative in the Olympic tennis tournament after the elimination on Tuesday in the 8th of the big favorite among women, Naomi Osaka (2nd), who had been chosen to light the Olympic cauldron on Friday during the opening ceremony.
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Djokovic, in search of his first Olympic title after his 20 Grand Slams, will face the winner of the match between world No.4 Alexander Zverev and Frenchman Jérémy Chardy (68th) to try to qualify for the final of the Games.
Big favorite in Tokyo, "Nole", who has already won the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year, dreams of achieving the Golden Grand Slam, a feat in the world of tennis consisting in winning the same year the four Majors and the Olympics.
Only the German Steffi Graf has so far succeeded in 1988.
© 2021 AFP