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Two points from defeat, Machac & Siniakova rally to take mixed doubles gold

  • Posted: Aug 02, 2024

Tomas Machac and Katerina Siniakova rallied from the brink of defeat to claim the mixed doubles gold medal for Czechia at the Paris Olympics.

The Czechs trailed Chinese duo Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen 6/8 in a dramatic match tie-break but after clawing back to 8-all, welcomed a double fault from Zhang that set up match point. The former off-court couple sealed gold when Machac’s fierce service return drew a volleying error from Wang, who earlier in the set had made a number of clutch poach volleys for winners.

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Both playing mixed doubles at the Olympics for the first time, Machac and Siniakova became the first Czechia team to win the mixed doubles gold with their 6-2, 5-7, 10-8 victory.

Siniakova collected her second gold medal, having won the women’s doubles gold in Tokyo with Barbora Krejcikova.

<img src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/08/02/17/58/felix-mixed-doubles-bronze.jpg” style=”width:100%;” alt=”Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski on their way to collecting mixed doubles bronze at the Paris Olympics.” />
Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski on their way to collecting mixed doubles bronze at the Paris Olympics. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Earlier in the day, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski won the mixed doubles bronze medal with a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory over Dutch duo Wesley Koolhof and Demi Schuurs Friday.

The Canadian pair looked headed for a comfortable win after leading 6-3, 3-0, before Koolhof and Schuurs rallied to extended the second set to a tie-break. But the Canadians steadied to become the second players from their nation to win an Olympic medal following the gold medal success of Sebastien Lareau and Daniel Nestor in Sydney in 2000.

Auger-Aliassime, who earlier in the day lost his singles semi-final to Carlos Alcaraz, No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, will have a shot at a second bronze medal when he plays the loser of tonight’s Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti semi-final.

 

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Djokovic tops Musetti to set gold medal match with Alcaraz

  • Posted: Aug 02, 2024

Novak Djokovic has set a blockbuster gold medal match with Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics Sunday after defeating Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2 in Friday’s semi-finals.

A 98-time tour-level titlist who has spent more than eight years atop the PIF ATP Rankings, Djokovic is guaranteed to improve upon his previous best Olympics outing, a singles bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing games. The 37-year-old fell on the red clay in relief when he secured his place in his first Olympic final.

“I have been waiting for this for almost 20 years,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “I’ve played four Olympic games, this is my fifth and I’ve never passed semi-finals. I lost three semi-finals in my first four Olympic games. I managed to overcome this big hurdle. I must be honest and say that I was thinking about all the semi-finals that I lost.”

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Despite right knee injury concerns following Thursday’s quarter-final, Djokovic showed no obvious signs of hindered movement. The top seed wore the same grey knee sleeve he has been wearing throughout the tournament and at last month’s Wimbledon.

Djokovic and Musetti faced fierce opposition on serve throughout the match. The seven-time Nitto ATP Finals champion was pushed to deuce in his opening two service games and had four break points of his own at 2-1, but the 22-year-old Musetti held in a lengthy five-deuce game.

The Belgrade native later earned a decisive break at 5-4, tallying five consecutive points from 0/40 to win the opening set.

“I just tried to be in the present moment. I played against a player who is in great form and really came out firing from both ends,” Djokovic said. “I just tried to maintain the focus and do what I have to do.”

The first four games of a topsy-turvy second set featured as many breaks. An animated Djokovic grew frustrated with uncharacteristic errors, two of which came while down break point. Aiming for his first title of 2024, Djokovic won four consecutive games from 2-2 to advance.

“Second set, I started, I was very, very nervous just overall,” Djokovic said. “Before the match, during the match, just so, so nervous. But so glad to overcome this hurdle and secure a medal for my country.”

Alcaraz, who earlier raced past Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1, won his most recent meeting against Djokovic. The Spaniard downed the 24-time major champion in the Wimbledon final, a repeat result from 2023. Their Lexus ATP Head2Head series is tied at 3-3.

Djokovic is the oldest men’s singles finalist since tennis returned to Olympics in Seoul 1988. Alcaraz is the youngest to achieve that same feat.

“I’ve achieved a lot of great things in this sport, but never finals of an Olympic games, so I’m super thrilled,” Djokovic said. “I hope I brought the joy to Serbian fans and people around the world and in also in Serbia. Of course I’m going to think about Alcaraz in the final tomorrow, but I’m also grateful to have a day off. I’m going to need one.”

World No. 16 Musetti will face Auger-Aliassime in the bronze medal match Saturday.

Did You Know?
Djokovic is aiming to become the fifth player, male or female, to complete the career ‘golden slam’, winning all four majors and an Olympic gold medal in singles. Stefanie Graf, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have achieved the feat.

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I'll miss Olympics the most – Murray

  • Posted: Aug 02, 2024

Sir Andy Murray sits down with Sir Chris Hoy to reflect on his historic tennis career ,which ended with defeat in the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 men’s doubles on Thursday.

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Ebden & Peers beat Fritz & Paul to reach Olympic doubles final

  • Posted: Aug 02, 2024

John Peers and Matthew Ebden have advanced to the gold medal match in the men’s doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a 7-5, 6-2 win over American pair Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the semi-finals. The Aussie duo will Saturday face American doubles specialists Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, who defeated the Czech pair Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek on Thursday.

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Ebden and Peers become only the second Australian pairing to reach a doubles final since tennis returned to the Seoul 1988 Olympics, following the success of Todd Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde, who won gold together at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. ‘The Woodies’ followed it up with a silver at the Sydney 2000 Games. Peers is guaranteed a second Olympic medal after winning bronze alongside Ash Barty in the mixed doubles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Both teams have advanced to the final without dropping set.

 

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Purcell/Thompson down Korda/Michelsen, reach Washington SFs

  • Posted: Aug 02, 2024

Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson reached their seventh semi-final of the year Thursday when they ousted home hopes Sebastian Korda and Alex Michelsen at the Mubadala Citi DC Open.

The second seeds, who have won three titles together this year, defeated the Americans 6-4, 7-5 after saving eight of the nine break points they faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Purcell and Thompson triumphed in Dallas, Los Cabos and Houston this year. Thompson partnered Korda, his quarter-final opponent in singles, to win the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid.

Finalists at Wimbledon last month, Purcell and Thompson next meet fourth seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow or fifth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Santiago Gonzalez.

In the top half of the draw, Sadio Doumbia and Hugo Nys upset top seeds Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten 6-2, 7-5. Brazilians Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo downed Karen Khachanov and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 7-6(3). 

Did You Know?
ATP is trialing player-worn microphones during Washington doubles matches. This innovation, part of the 2024 ATP Doubles Trial, aims to enhance the fan and broadcast experience, while also amplifying the profiles of the players. This will take place across select doubles matches throughout the week.

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