'Novak Djokovic is the greatest player of all time,' declares Alexander Zverev

Making a debut at the Olympic Games, Alexander Zverev will chase the gold medal in the singles event against Karen Khachanov. The German took down world no. 1 and a player to beat this season, Novak Djokovic, in the semis, overcoming a massive deficit and taking ten of the final 11 games to stun Novak 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 in two hours and three minutes. Thus, Novak has failed to achieve the Golden Slam, losing in the Olympic Games semi-final for the third time after Beijing (Rafael Nadal) and London (Andy Murray). It was Alexander's third win over Novak and the first after five straight losses, finding that higher gear and leaving world no. 1 pretty much powerless since the middle of the second set.

Alexander Zverev praised Novak Djokovic after beating him in Tokyo.

Novak controlled the action with three early breaks before fading from the court, suffering four straight breaks and losing serve five times in total to propel the younger opponent into the final clash. Showing full respect towards Djokovic, Zverev said some nice words to the Serb at the net, knowing how it meant for Novak. Also, the German called the Serb the greatest player of all time, highlighting everything he has already achieved and those things that should come in the upcoming years. Novak has won all three Majors in 2021, targeting the Golden Slam but settling with a calendar Grand Slam if he conquers the forthcoming US Open.

"I feel sorry for Novak. But he's won 20 Majors, 550 Masters 1000 events, or whatever; you can't have everything. He's the greatest player of all time, and he will win the most Majors. I'm also happy that I'm in the final. It's a fantastic feeling, knowing that you're going to bring the medal back to Germany. It's incredible to beat the world's best player, overall and of 2021. It seemed impossible to beat Novak at this event, and I'm thrilled. Still, there's one match to go. I know that Novak was chasing history, the Golden Slam and the Olympic gold, but in these kinds of moments, Novak and I are very close. Of course, I'm happy that I've won, but I know how Novak feels at the end of the day. I told him that he's the greatest of all time, and he will be," Alexander Zverev said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3lbGodp