Olympics, tennis tonight: Djokovic for gold

From our correspondent Riccardo Crivelli

23 July
– TOKYO

At the Italian dawn on Saturday (four o’clock) the tennis tournament will start, perhaps never so anticipated at the Olympics, because it is ennobled by Novak Djokovic’s attempt to add another pearl to the three seasonal successes in the Majors (Australia, Paris and Wimbledon), so as to continue to cultivate the dream of the Golden Slam, that is to win the four most important tournaments in the same year (such as Budge and Laver twice) and Olympic gold, like only Graf in 1988. The number one already debuts today in the fourth match on the Centrale (Italian morning) against the Bolivian Dellien.

ITALIANS

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Four of the six blues on the board between men and women also immediately engaged. The first to take the field (inaugural match on number 9) is also the youngest, Lorenzo Musetti, n.61 Atp, rookie at the Games (he took the place of Sinner who gave up): he will deal with the Australian John Millman, no. 44 of the ranking: there is no precedent. The Tuscan Next Gen then, theoretically, could find the Spaniard Davidovich Fokina in the second round and Djokovic in the third. In the same part of the scoreboard there is also Lorenzo Sonego: the Turin, n.26 Atp and 13th seeded, also a rookie, finds the Japanese Taro Daniel, n.110 in the ranking: there are no precedents. They will play the second match on number 1. Japanese opponent also for Fabio Fognini, n.31 and 15th seeded, who has to contend with Yuichi Sugita, n.114 in the ranking: the 34-year-old from Arma di Taggia won in five sets the The only precedent in the Davis Cup 2018. The Ligurian would theoretically find either Gerasimov or Simon in the second round and in the third the Russian Medvedev, number two in the ranking and seeding. Fabio plays the third match on number 3. For Fognini it is the third Olympics: he reached the round of 16 in Rio 2016, stopped by Murray (after being 3-0 in the decisive set), while in London 2012 he lost on his debut against Djokovic.

give it

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In the women’s draw on the field Sara Errani, n.104 WTA, who debuts against the Russian Pavlyuchenkova, n.18 in the ranking and 13 in the seeding, this year finalist at Roland Garros: the 30-year-old Russian is ahead 4-2 in the precedents. First match on field 3. For Sarita it is the fourth Olympics: in Rio she was beaten in the round of 16 by Kasatkina, in London 2012 she went immediately out of Venus Williams as well as in Beijing 2008, eliminated by Stosur. Sunday Giorgi-Brady and Paolini-Kvitova.