Novak Djokovic defeated No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-2 to get to his first Olympic final. Despite having lost his previous three Olympic semifinals, the 37-year-old Serb is now ready for gold.
however he is prepared to contend for gold for the first time in his career at the age of 36.
In a tense match, Djokovic defeated a formidable Musetti in the opening set before eventually capitalizing on the Italian’s weaknesses, particularly when it came to the backhand. ‘Nole’ is now getting ready to take face Carlos Alcaraz in a final once more.
Djokovic prevails in a tense match against Musetti
Musetti was prepared to face the 24-time Grand Slam champion on an equal footing in the opening set. Although Djokovic had been clearly superior to his opponent in their last Wimbledon match, Musetti displayed far more ease in his service this time around on clay.
Djokovic faced a competitor who was performing as an extremely high level, but he began the match with obvious extra motivation. The first two games included break points, but neither team was able to take advantage of them. Musetti was able to counter Djokovic’s persistent pressure on his backhand, at least during the opening portion of the match.
But Nole did not give up, and despite the equally matched match, he took advantage of one break point to take the set 6-4. He was ahead 5-4 at the time. It was evident from Djokovic’s 12 unforced errors compared to Musetti’s 15 that the match was a test of nerves.
The tension increased even more in the second set. Musetti took the lead early on, but Djokovic quickly regained it. In the third and fourth games, both players took several rests, which kept the score close. But Nole’s drive began to overtake the Italian, as he increased his first serve percentage to 74% compared to Musetti’s meager 52%, which was extremely low against one of the greatest returners in history.
In the second set, Musetti paid a heavy price for missing out on first serves. Following the 2-2 draw, Djokovic put everything on the line to win, winning the following four games in a row. Musetti lost five games in a row and was unable to play at the same intensity as much of the opening set.
16 years after his first semifinal, Djokovic finally makes it to the Olympic final. This time, the Olympic gold medal is the only title he hasn’t yet won, and he’s just one match away from accomplishing the coveted Career Golden Slam. He will be up against the most recent Roland Garros champion, Carlos Alcaraz, so it won’t be simple.
FOR GOLD. FOR GLORY @DjokerNole @carlosalcaraz#Paris2024 #Olympics #Tennis pic.twitter.com/wekns4PxI7
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 2, 2024