By Tony Fairbairn
- Novak Djokovic [1] v Rafael Nadal
- Jessica Pegula [5] v Elina Svitolina
- Carlos Alcaraz [2] v Tallon Griekspoor
PARIS, FRANCE – Rafael Nadal will take on Novak Djokovic in a titanic second round battle as two of the greatest tennis players of all time meet for a 60th time on day three of the Olympic Games.
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Novak Djokovic [1] v Rafael Nadal H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Novak Djokovic [1] v Rafael Nadal | H2H: Djokovic leads 30-29 |
| Olympic Games 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: N/A |
| Second on Philippe Chatrier (Not before 12:30 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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Novak Djokovic has achieved everything that tennis has to offer but the one thing the Serb is yet to do is win Olympic gold. This is Djokovic’s fifth Olympic Games and time is running out for Djokovic to achieve the one thing he is yet to win with tough draws, injuries and lack of composure all leading to the Serb’s downfall at the Olympics. Now the pressure is well and truly on as the Serb aims to win his first title of the season in Paris in what could be his last ever Olympics.
A familiar enemy awaits Djokovic in the second round in the form of a player who has denied him multiple Roland Garros titles. That player is Rafael Nadal as the 14-time Roland Garros champion set up this blockbuster encounter with a thrilling three set victory over Marton Fucsovics. Being a part of the opening ceremony mixed with an incredible doubles victory alongside Alcaraz seems to have given Nadal new life as he has achieved his goal of playing the Olympic Games at his favourite ever tournament. Now the legendary Spaniard prepares for one last battle with his fierce rival in what should be a match to remember.
Djokovic will aim to dominate on serve and force Nadal into uncomfortable positions on court by using the backhand. Meanwhile Nadal will aim to be aggressive on return and will need to serve at a high level throughout the match. In terms of where both players are at in their careers then Djokovic is favourite but the conditions at Philippe Chatrier favour Nadal more and with the pressure all on the Serb, it really is anybody’s guess how this match will end up.
Prediction: Djokovic in three sets.
Jessica Pegula [5] v Elina Svitolina H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Jessica Pegula [5] v Elina Svitolina | H2H: Pegula leads 4-1 |
| Olympic Games 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: N/A |
| Fourth on Philippe Chatrier (19:30 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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Jessica Pegula has had a fairly frustrating season so far with coaching changes, injuries and lack of confidence all contributing to an inconsistent season. There was optimism that winning the Berlin title would inspire a turnaround in fortunes but so far that hasn’t been the case. Now Pegula gets to represent her country and show that she should be seen as a medal contender after missing Roland Garros earlier this year.
A tough second round match awaits in the form of Ukrainian Elina Svitolina who has had a mixed season. After a poor start to the year, Svitolina made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and seems to be playing with more freedom recently after feeling the pressure of defending ranking points in recent weeks. Now with everything going on in Ukraine there would be nothing that would make Svitolina more proud than to win a medal in Paris which would top of an incredible Olympic experience after being flagbearer at the opening ceremony.
Pegula will hope to be aggressive on serve and use her clay court intelligence to be proactive towards the net, testing Svitolina’s movement. Meanwhile Svitolina will play counter-attacking tennis from the baseline and will use depth to force shorter balls from Pegula. This should be an entertaining match with lots of twists and turns but Pegula should be slightly more reliable under pressure.
Prediction: Pegula in three sets.
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Carlos Alcaraz [2] v Tallon Griekspoor H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Carlos Alcaraz [2] v Tallon Griekspoor | H2H: Alcaraz leads 2-0 |
| Olympic Games 2024 | Paris, France |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: N/A |
| Third on Philippe Chatrier (Not before 18:00 BST) | Discovery+ Add-on via Amazon Prime
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The favourite for the gold medal has to be Carlos Alcaraz and the Spaniard’s confidence will only be boosted after his doubles win alongside Nadal. Having won Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Alcaraz is the player to beat right now and the same applies in Paris as he will look to cap off his Olympic experience by winning gold on his debut.
Next for Alcaraz in his gold medal mission is Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor who has been a tricky customer for multiple top players this season. A big serve mixed with clean skills at the net, Griekspoor is a tricky customer for any player and after nearly shocking Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros earlier in the year the Dutchman will believe he can cause a similar shock at the Olympics.
Alcaraz will use the forehand to power Griekspoor off the court as the Spaniard will also implement the drop shot when the Dutchman is deep behind the baseline. Meanwhile Griekspoor will need to serve aggressively as he looks to finish points off at the net. This will be a tight contest but one Alcaraz should win in two tight sets.
Prediction: Alcaraz in straight sets.
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