Novak Djokovic toppled Rafael Nadal in their Paris Olympics matchup on Monday, as they refused to say if this would be their last faceoff.
Visit M88 Sports for more tennis news and updates.
Check out M88 Mansion’s best offers here.
DJOKOVIC TOPS NADAL IN PARIS OLYMPICS MATCHUP TO ADVANCE TO THIRD ROUND
Furthermore, Djokovic emerged victorious, 6-1, 6-4, in their latest head-to-head matchup at the Paris Games at Roland Garros.
It was the 60th time that the two tennis titans went at each other – although this was only a second-round match and not a final.
Moreover, Djokovic still leads the matchup, 31-29.
Nadal played sluggish through the first one-and-a-half hour of the match.
He was far from the form that won him a record 14 French Open titles and 12 majors overall.
The 38-year-old Spaniard made things interesting in the second set by forcing a 4-all tie.
However, Djokovic responded with a flourish to finish off Nadal behind a Court Philippe Chatrier crowd that left chants of “Ra-da! Ra-fa!” to no avail.
NEITHER NOVAK NOR RAFA ADMIT IF LATEST MATCHUP WOULD BE THEIR LAST
Moreover, neither player would admit if their latest matchup would be their last in a long-standing rivalry.
“Of course, it can be, but we don’t know that. It really depends on many different factors,” Djokovic said.
“I just hope for the sake of our rivalry, and the sport, in general, that we’ll get to face each other once, maybe a few times, on different surfaces, in different parts of the world,” he added.
For his part, Nadal has grown tired of being asked almost every day about his future in the sport.
“I cannot live every single day with the feeling that it’s going to be, or not going to be, my last match. I come here, I try my best, I play,” the Spaniard said.
“If I feel that I am not competitive enough to keep going or physically I am not… ready to keep going, I will stop, and I will let you know,” he added.
ALCARAZ ADVANCES TO THIRD ROUND AFTER WIN OVER NETHERLANDS’ GRIEKSPOOR
Meanwhile, Nadal’s compatriot and world No.3 Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the third round.
Alcaraz posted a 6-1, 7-6(3) victory over the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.
Furthermore, Alcaraz dominated the opening set with ease before holding off Griekspoor’s attempt to tie the match to pull off the win.
The reigning French and Wimbledon champion had a groin muscle issue in the second needed and asked for a medical timeout.
Fortunately for Alcaraz, he overcame the injury scare and avoided a dragging third set.
This enabled him to put away the world No.28-ranked Dutchman.
“It’s a pain that I’ve been dealing with. I know what I have to do… to deal with this pain,” Alcaraz said.
Moreover, the win pushed Alcaraz to a third-round matchup against Russian Roman Safiullin, who is competing as a neutral athlete.
/
