Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis superstar, embarked on his quest for an elusive Olympic gold medal with an emphatic 6-0 6-1 win over Matthew Ebden.
Despite his numerous accolades in the world of tennis, including 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic has yet to surpass his bronze medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His swift victory over Australia’s Ebden, who was competing in his first singles match in two years, lasted a mere 53 minutes.
Amidst the one-sided match, Ebden managed to captivate the audience with his humble reaction to the unfolding events on the court. Djokovic, the top seed in Paris and a long-time rival of Spain’s Rafael Nadal, could potentially cross paths with the esteemed Nadal in the upcoming matches.
Meanwhile, spectators can anticipate Spain’s Nadal taking the singles court later in the week against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics. Additionally, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, Carlos Alcaraz, also displayed a dominant performance, swiftly defeating Hady Habib of Lebanon with a score of 6-3 6-1.
Ebden, known primarily as a doubles player, was well aware of the formidable challenge ahead of him, as indicated in his social media post on the day of the draw. Despite his valiant efforts, including an entertaining underarm serve that Djokovic managed to return, Ebden found himself trailing 6-0 2-0, seemingly devoid of viable strategies.
In a moment of light-hearted jest, Ebden humorously offered his racquet to a section of the crowd to see if they could fare any better, prompting a lively response from the spectators. The crowd erupted with applause when Ebden finally secured a game, marking a memorable moment of the match.
Acknowledging Ebden’s spirited performance, Djokovic exchanged a lighthearted pat on the shoulder with him as they made their way to their respective seats. Although Djokovic may have hoped for a more challenging opponent to fine-tune his form on the court, he undoubtedly welcomed the efficient victory.
Outside courts encountered unfavorable conditions on Saturday, resulting in delays for British players Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, and Katie Boulter, who eagerly awaited the commencement of their singles campaigns.
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