Rafael Nadal put up a fight in the second set, but the 60th meeting between two all-time greats was mostly one-way traffic for Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics on Monday afternoon. Djokovic won their second-round contest 6-1, 6-4, advancing to the last 16 after one hour and 44 minutes.
The 37-year-old took the first five games of the match and 10 of the first 11. Nadal suddenly made a charge from 4-0 down in the second set to reach 4-4, but Djokovic steadied himself to seize the next two games and clinch victory.
“At 6-1, 4-0 I got a little bit too comfortable,” the Serb admitted. “At 4-1 I played a little sloppy service game and you can’t give any chances to Nadal because he is going to use them and come back–especially on this court. The crowd getting involved. It was a crucial game at 4-4, trying to break his serve and then serve against the wind with new balls.
“It was a very close encounter, but I am very pleased with the way I played.”
Nadal’s stay at Roland Garros–perhaps the last one of his career–is not over. He and Carlos Alcaraz won their first-round doubles match and will return to the court on Tuesday. The Spanish duo is facing Dutchmen Wesley Koolhof and Tallon Griekspoor.
Alcaraz is seeking his second win over Griekspoor in as many days. The reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion defeated the underdog Dutchman 6-1, 7-6(3) in singles on Monday evening.
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Djoker too good
Nadal at his best destroyed everyone.
In 2011, Nadal was already at the midpoint of his career. Let’s keep things in perspective.
31-29