Novak Djokovic is but to drop a set on the Tokyo Olympics after 4 matchesDates: 23 July-8 August Time in Tokyo: BST +8Protection: Watch stay on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Purple Button and on-line; Pay attention on BBC Radio 5 Stay, Sports activities Additional and Sounds; stay textual content and video clips on BBC Sport web site and app.
Novak Djokovic stays heading in the right direction for a ‘Golden Slam’ after ruthlessly ending the goals of residence hope Kei Nishikori to cruise into the Olympic semi-finals.
The world primary, bidding to change into the primary man to win all 4 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold in the identical 12 months, breezed by means of 6-2 6-0.
He’ll face Germany’s Alexander Zverev within the semi-finals on Friday.
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova will meet in Saturday’s ladies’s ultimate.
Bencic, 24, outlasted Kazakhstan’s Rybakina 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-3 in a match lasting nearly three hours within the searing Tokyo warmth, saving 5 set factors in a 73-minute opening set that she gained on a tie-break.
Vondrousova, ranked forty second on the planet, loved a surprisingly way more serene passage as she shocked world quantity six Elina Svitolina, brushing the Ukrainian apart 6-3 6-1 in little over an hour.
Thursday’s matches started at 15:00 native time (07:00 BST), 4 hours later than on earlier days, after organisers agreed to push begin instances again following complaints from gamers concerning the scorching situations.
There have been few issues concerning the warmth for Djokovic as he took simply an hour and 10 minutes to dispatch Japan’s 2016 bronze medallist Nishikori, who reduce an more and more forlorn determine as his hopes of successful a medal for the host nation had been obliterated.
“Enjoying after 5 [pm] is totally totally different. Clearly, there’s a little little bit of a breeze,” stated Djokovic, 34.
“It is nonetheless very, very humid – you sweat rather a lot however you do not have the warmth, you do not have the solar that, together with the humidity, is simply brutal.
“I am very glad, it was my finest efficiency within the match. Matches should not getting simpler however my degree of tennis is getting higher and higher.”
Victory equalled one other document for the Serb, who drew degree with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon final month, as he matched the Swiss’ 13 singles match Olympic wins.
Djokovic, nonetheless, has by no means reached an Olympic ultimate, his finest efficiency coming in Beijing in 2008 when he took bronze after dropping to Nadal within the final 4.
Standing in his approach is 24-year-old Zverev, who produced a show nearly as spectacular as Djokovic’s to see off France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-4 6-1.
Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta will meet Karen Khachanov, of the Russian Olympic Committee, in Friday’s different semi-final on the Ariake Tennis Park.
The Spaniard upset world quantity two Daniil Medvedev, who struggled within the intense warmth in his earlier match, 6-2 7-6 (7-5), whereas Khachanov triumphed 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-3 over France’s Ugo Humbert.
