Alexander Zverev produced the upset of season 2021 with a three-set victory over Novak Djokovic in their Olympic men’s singles semifinal on Friday.
World No.1 Djokovic led by a set and a break before Zverev turned the match around, winning eight straight games to completely take control.
The German completed the 1-6 6-3 6-1 triumph with his 43rd winner to advance to the gold medal match, where he will face No.12 seed Karen Khachanov.
Khachanov continued his resurgence by overwhelming Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-3 to reach the biggest final of his career.
Zverev ends Djokovic’s Golden Grand Slam campaign
Zverev had not beaten Djokovic in almost three years, having lost their past five meetings.
Djokovic had not lost a match since the Rome final in May, and took a 22-match winning streak into this semifinal clash.
The Serb, who earlier in 2021 won the Australian, French and Wimbledon titles, had been in brilliant form in Tokyo, progressing to the last four without dropping a set.
And he started strongly against the 24-year-old German, controlling the rallies in the first set and taking it after 37 minutes with an ace up the T.
Djokovic broke Zverev for a 3-2 lead after the No.4 seed twice botched volleys in the fifth game.
But completely against the tide, Zverev broke back at love in the very next game – part of an extraordinary run of eight consecutive games during which his aggressive play completely altered the course of the match.
When you realise you're through to the #gold medal match at #Tokyo2020 #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/vIQjl3nuF2
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 30, 2021
Djokovic had a chance to stop Zverev’s irresistible momentum early in the third set, holding four break points in a second game that lasted almost 10 minutes.
But Zverev survived that challenge, moved ahead 4-0, and grew in confidence with every step closer to the finish line.
Serving to stay in the match at 1-5, a rattled Djokovic committed three consecutive errors to hand Zverev a bundle of match points, of which he converted his second.
Zverev, who finished with more than double the number of Djokovic's winners, broke down in tears on court before burying his head in a towel when sitting courtside.
Djokovic has now appeared in three Olympic singles semifinals without ever advancing to the gold medal match.
He will head to the US Open with his calendar-year Grand Slam quest still alive.
Khachanov continues stellar form
Khachanov has now won nine of his past 10 matches after recently advancing to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
And he showed obvious signs of that confidence throughout his dominant performance at Ariake Tennis Park on Friday, pounding 28 winners past Carreno Busta, including 10 aces, while keeping his unforced errors to just nine.
One of those winners came off the forehand wing to help Khachanov break for a 4-2 lead in the second set, and he struck another forehand winner up the line to seal victory in one hour and 19 minutes.
Khachanov has been ranked as high as No.8 but currently sits at 25th, and he has not appeared in a final since 2018.
His most recent triumph came at the ATP Paris Masters that same year thanks to a win over Djokovic in the final, improving his record in title matches to an unblemished 4-0.
Tweet of the day
One more step?? Let’s go for it? #Final #Olympics #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/gzipOAxGYw
— Karen Khachanov (@karenkhachanov) July 30, 2021
Doubles: Gold for Croatia as Kiwis create history
Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic overcame fellow Croats Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig in the men's doubles gold medal match to continue their brilliant season.
It marks a ninth title of 2021 for the Wimbledon champions, who have built a winning streak of 15 matches thanks to their 6-4 3-6 [10-6] triumph over Cilic and Dodig on Centre Court at Ariake Tennis Park.
Earlier on Friday on Court 1, Kiwi duo Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus combined brilliantly to defeat Americans Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren in the men's doubles bronze-medal match.
Daniell and Venus surged to a 7-6(3) 6-2 victory to earn New Zealand’s first ever tennis medal at an Olympic Games.
They threatened to snatch the first set earlier when they earned two break points in the 11th game, only for Krajicek and Sandgren to escape.
But Daniell and Venus dominated the subsequent tiebreak and then vaulted to a 4-1 lead in the second set, flummoxing the Americans with deft lobs and superior play at net.
Daniell was tasked with serving out the match and he did so strongly, with the duo holding at love and celebrating excitedly when Venus slotted the team’s 37th winner.
Mixed: All-ROC final set for Tokyo
Djokovic had a quick turnaround after his shock defeat in the singles semifinals, teaming up with fellow Serb Nina Stojanovic and playing for a place in the mixed doubles gold medal match.
But across the net were the in-form Elena Vesnina and Aslan Karatsev, the duo representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and who were recent finalists in mixed doubles event at Roland Garros.
After losing a tense first set, Djokovic and Stojanovic surged to a 4-2 lead in the second, only for Vesnina and Karatsev to reel them in.
Vesnina and Karatsev eventually won 7-6(4) 7-5, setting up a clash for the gold medal against compatriots Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Andrey Rublev.
Pavlyuchenkova and Rublev faced a match point against Australians Ash Barty and John Peers in the match tiebreak, but Pavlyuchenkova saved that with a backhand winner down the line before she and Rublev went on to win 5-7 6-4 [13-11].
Quotes of the day
“I told him that he’s the greatest of all time. I know that he was chasing history, he was chasing (the) Golden Slam. We’re very close. So of course I’m happy that I’ve won, but in the end of the day I also know (how) he feels.”
- Alexander Zverev, reflecting on his moment with Novak Djokovic at net after beating the Serb in the semifinals
"I play tennis for those moments, I practice for these kind of matches and when you get there, when it's paying off, it's just a pure pleasure to be here. (These are) the kind of memories that will stay forever."
- Karen Khachanov
"I think it's just a different level, New Zealand is just so Olympics focused - it's such a huge deal so to show Kiwi tennis players can win medals, I really hope that jump starts the interest and passion for tennis in the younger generation."
- Marcus Daniell
Image of the day
Day 8: Ones to watch
Belinda Bencic and Marketa Vondrousova go head-to-head in the last match on Centre Court on Saturday, with the women's singles gold medal on the line.
Prior to that, several bronze medals are up for grabs.
ORDER OF PLAY: Olympic Tennis Event Day 8
Djokovic opens the Centre Court schedule against Carreno Busta, hoping to shrug off the disappointment of his semifinal loss to Zverev as he aims for a second Olympic bronze in men's singles to accompany the one he won in Beijing 13 years ago.
Following that is the women's singles bronze medal match between Ukrainian Elina Svitolina and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
On Court 1, Wimbledon finalists Vesnina and Veronika Kudermetova play for bronze in the women's doubles against Brazilians Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani.
Djokovic will then play for a second bronze medal when he and Stojanovic take on Australians Barty and Peers.