By Martyn Herman
PARIS (Reuters) – Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz stayed on collision course for a golden showdown at the Paris Olympics as they surged through to the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Djokovic, probably in last-chance-saloon as far as his Olympic title hopes go, beat Germany’s Dominic Koepfer 7-5 6-3 to reach the last eight at the Games for a record fourth time.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz, seeded two, then followed suit with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Russian Roman Safiullin.
With Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas set to play Djokovic in the last eight, the men’s singles draw has a familiar feel.
The women’s singles quarter-final continued to throw up surprises, however, with Anna Karolina Schmiedlova stunning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-2 to become the first Slovak since Miloslav Mecir in 1988 to reach the last four in the Olympic singles.
Zheng Qinwen ended the stellar career of Germany’s Angelique Kerber in a titanic tussle to emulate Li Na who reached the semi-finals of singles at the Beijing Games in 2008.
Zheng failed to convert three successive match points in the third set as veteran Kerber clung on grimly in stifling heat but eventually prevailed 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(6) — collapsing to the red clay in disbelief as Kerber’s last shot struck the net.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Kerber announced last week she would retire after the Paris event.
Women’s singles top seed Iga Swiatek of Poland was in action against American Danielle Collins later with Croatia’s Donna Vekic playing Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
For all his 24 Grand Slam titles and countless accolades, the Olympics has never been especially kind to the 37-year-old Djokovic and a bronze medal remains his only souvenir.
But he looks in the mood to fill the only unoccupied space in his bulging trophy cabinet and is yet to drop a set.
After the emotions and hyperbole of Djokovic’s previous round against his claycourt nemesis Rafa Nadal, the atmosphere on a muggy centre court was more sedate as he comfortably dispatched 30-year-old Koepfer after some initial trouble.
Djokovic earned an early service break with an exquisite drop shot but handed back the advantage immediately.
Koepfer undid his good work with a bungled drop shot attempt and an errant backhand to concede the opening set and Djokovic rolled on to his 16th career singles win at the Olympics — the most by any player since tennis returned to the Games in 1988.
Standing in the way of Djokovic and a fourth Olympic singles semi-final is eighth seed Tsitsipas who beat Argentina’s Sebastian Baez.
The last time they met at Roland Garros was in the French Open final in 2021 when Tsitsipas was two sets ahead before succumbing in five.
“I don’t expect anything less than a big fight and a tight match,” Djokovic said of Thursday’s clash. “The goal is to get to the finals and have a battle for that gold.”
Games debutant Alcaraz has also been untroubled en route to the quarter-finals as he seeks to follow his French Open and Wimbledon titles with Olympic gold.
He was too good for Safiullin and powered to victory before preparing for his men’s doubles quarter-final with Rafa Nadal later on Court Philippe Chatrier.
There were mixed fortunes for Americans on day five of the tournament as Tommy Paul ended French hopes of a medal by beating Corentin Moutet 7-6 6-3 to reach the singles quarter-final but Taylor Fritz could not join him, going down 6-4 7-5 to Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti.
There was more disappointment for Coco Gauff as the young American and partner Jessica Pegula, the top seeds, lost in the second round of the women’s doubles to Czech pair Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris, Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)
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