Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Novak Djokovic bid for Golden Slam ended by Alexander Zverev
Djokovic has already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year and needed success in Tokyo and the US Open to become the first man to achieve the Golden Slam and replicate Steffi Graf’s feat of 1988.
But Zverev had other ideas, and the Serb’s wait for an Olympic final appearance goes on.
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Hide AdDjokovic comfortably took the first set but collapsed from a set and a break ahead, with fourth seed Zverev sending 30 winners past the 34-year-old, whose best Olympic performance remains his bronze in 2008.
He lost to eventual winner Andy Murray at the semi-final stage at London 2012 and was reduced to tears after a first-round defeat by Juan Martin del Potro at Rio in 2016.
Djokovic hadn’t dropped a set in Tokyo prior to the semi-final and had dealt with home hope Kei Nishikori in just over an hour in the quarter-finals, winning 6-2 6-0.
Zverev, meanwhile, had seen off Jeremy Chardy of France in his last-eight encounter, winning 6-4 6-1 and is the first German to reach the Olympic final since Tommy Haas at Sydney 2000.
Zverev will face Russian Karen Khachanov for the gold medal on Sunday, where he is aiming to make more history by becoming the first German to win singles gold since Graf in Seoul more than 30 years ago.
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