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Novak Djokovic looked unflappable in his quarter-final victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas as he continued his quest for Olympic gold.
It was as robust a display Novak Djokovic could’ve hoped for as he now prepares for the last four of the Olympics.
Having not been particularly tested so far on his journey to the quarter-finals, a 2021 French Open final rematch was the perfect chance to push himself, and respond to being pushed.
Despite having taken the first set quite comfortably, the Serb trailed Stefanos Tsitsipas 5-2 in the second set before clawing his way back in to seal the match in a tie-break.
Djokovic however received some medical treatment during the match, and with his knee still heavily strapped, the worry crept in.
Is Novak Djokovic going to pull out of the Olympics semi-final?
It all happened in the very stadium where Djokovic originally tore his meniscus in his right knee, which ultimately forced him to withdraw from the French Open.
The Serb later revealed whether or not he could continue to contest the semi-final match against Lorenzo Musetti.
He said: “Even if the doctor says it’s not okay, I’ll probably get on the court and give it a try.
“These are very rare chances to fight for a medal for my country, so I’m going to do everything possible in the next 24 hours to put myself in a position to fight for a medal for Serbia.”
Despite Djokovic’s positive fitness update ahead of the Olympics, his knee is certainly still cause for concern.
Novak Djokovic: “Even if doctor says it’s not okay, I’ll probably get on the court and give it a try. These are very rare chances, to fight for a medal for my country, so I’m going to do everything possible in the next 24 hours to put myself in a position to fight for a medal for… pic.twitter.com/JWFpMAnliS
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Will Novak Djokovic’s Olympic dream come crashing down once again?
The Serb won’t have the nightmarish task of dealing with his semi-final conqueror from Tokyo in the last four again, with the reigning Olympic champion Alexander Zverev, dumped out by Musetti.
Djokovic has made clear his ambitions to win Olympic gold, having only ever secured bronze and finished in fourth place at the Games twice.
With Musetti looking utterly supreme on clay, and after the pair’s five-set encounter at the French Open in June, the Italian may well grasp the opportunity to spoil the Djokovic dream.
