Djokovic Downs Nadal As Olympic Fans Count Down To Titmus Time
Novak Djokovic overcame a gritty Rafael Nadal comeback Monday in probably the last chapter of their epic tennis rivalry at the Paris Olympics, as Australia’s Ariarne Titmus bids for a second gold in the pool.
With glorious blue Paris skies banishing the memories of the soggy opening ceremony, the hottest ticket in town was at Roland Garros with two tennis legends going head-to-head.
King of clay Nadal has always enjoyed the edge over his rival in Paris but at the age of 38 and with injury worries slowing him down, he had warned he would struggle to be competitive against Djovokic.
That proved painfully prescient in the first set as the ruthless Serb dispatched his opponent 6-1.
But 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal rolled back the years in the second, roared on by a packed Roland Garros crowd, fighting back from 4-0 down to 4-4 with two breaks of serve.
Djovokic found an extra gear at the end to claim a 6-1, 6-4 victory, the pair embracing at the net and the popular Nadal waving to the Roland Garros faithful.
Nadal, now 161 in the world, said he would decide on his future after the Paris Games “based on my feelings”, complaining he did not “have the legs of 20 years ago.”
“I never thought back in 2006 that we’d still be playing each other almost 20 years later,” said Djokovic, who admitted he was “very relieved” to have got through.
‘SO PROUD’
In the pool, Canada’s Summer McIntosh launched her bid for 400m medley gold in the morning session, with Titmus hotly tipped to win her second swimming gold later in the day.
Supporters can expect another electric night of swimming action, with Titmus bidding to add the 200m freestyle crown to her dominant 400m triumph on Saturday, when she blew away rivals McIntosh and Katie Ledecky to retain her title.
The 23-year-old Titmus is favourite at 200m – she is reigning champion and world record-holder.
Her biggest threat is fellow Australian Mollie O’Callaghan, who boasted the fastest time ever until Titmus smashed it in June.
Monday’s other swimming finals are women’s 400m individual medley, men’s 200m freestyle, men’s 100m backstroke and women’s 100m breaststroke.
In diving, Daley took an emotional silver medal with partner Noah Williams in the men’s synchronised 10m platform behind China’s Lian Junjie and Yang Hao.
Williams choked back tears as he recalled his former coach Dave Jenkins, who died in 2021 after the last Olympics in Tokyo.
Daley, whose father Rob died of cancer in 2011, told the BBC: “I’ve never seen Noah cry in my whole life, I know how much today mean to him.
“It’s very sad Dave is not here, but I know Dave and my dad would both be so proud to set us here today.”
Daley made his Olympic debut as a 14-year-old at the 2008 Beijing Games and won his first Olympic medal with a bronze at the 2012 London Games.
He took another bronze in Rio, then another at the Tokyo Olympics before finally winning gold in the men’s synchronised 10m platform event at those Games.
China scooped the first diving gold in Paris with victory ahead of the United States and Britain in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard.
SEINE EVENTS SCRAPPED
Another fascinating battle pits China and Japan against each other for gold in the men’s team final of the gymnastics.
Gold medals are also up for grabs in archery, canoeing, mountain biking, equestrian, fencing, judo, shooting and skateboarding.
In mountain biking, Britain’s Tom Pidcock staged an extraordinary comeback from a puncture to win his second straight gold, holding off French home favourite Victor Koretzky in a thrilling sprint finish.
Yuto Horigome retained his men’s skateboarding street title after the event was postponed on Saturday because of rain.
Japan could snatch all three medals, with the 2023 world champion Sora Shirai and 14-year-old Ginwoo Onodera also strongly fancied.
In women’s basketball, the United States launch their bid for an eighth consecutive gold medal when they open their campaign against Japan, with veteran Diana Taurasi aiming to snare a sixth gold in her farewell international tournament.
Meanwhile, Olympic organisers cancelled a second day of triathlon training in the River Seine planned Monday after weekend downpours polluted the waterway.
