Preview / Schedule 2024 Paris Olympic Games Tennis Day Six - Thursday 1 August including Djokovic-Tsitsipas, Alcaraz-Paul and Zverev-Musetti

Thursday, 01 August 2024 at 14:23

The schedule has been confirmed for 1 August as the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals in the men's and women's draw at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games dominate proceedings. Our preview looks ahead to the top ties.

Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz are all in action on Day Six as we get the first final confirmed and the semi-finalists in the men's contending for the medals.

Swiatek, Alcaraz, Djokovic-Tsitsipas headline Chatrier

Court Philippe-Chatrier is stacked with top ties as Iga Swiatek and Qinwen Zheng will battle it out in the first semi-final. The first player to battle for gold will be confirmed and it is two familiar foes battling it out.

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Swiatek leads 6-0 but has been pushed in the past by the Chinese ace. They have faced off twice this year albeit it has been comprehensive both times with wins at the United Cup and Dubai for Swiatek.

The second tie of the day sees Tommy Paul face off against Carlos Alcaraz with the winner booking a semi-final spot. The Spaniard leads 3-2 but has had issues defeating the remaining American in the past. Even at Wimbledon, it was four sets and Paul won twice in Canada. They could meet again in a week's time in Canada like the last two years. But they meet first in Paris. Alcaraz though was superb on Wednesday.

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Head to Head Breakdown - Alcaraz v Paul

Match Breakdown:

2022 ATP Masters 1000 Canada:Winner: Tommy PaulScore: 6-7, 7-6, 6-3
Winner: Tommy Paul
Score: 6-7, 7-6, 6-3
2023 ATP Masters 1000 Miami:Winner: Carlos AlcarazScore: 6-4, 6-4
Winner: Carlos Alcaraz
Score: 6-4, 6-4
2023 ATP Masters 1000 Canada:Winner: Tommy PaulScore: 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Winner: Tommy Paul
Score: 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
2023 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati:Winner: Carlos AlcarazScore: 7-6, 6-7, 6-3
Winner: Carlos Alcaraz
Score: 7-6, 6-7, 6-3
2024 Wimbledon - Winner Carlos Alcaraz. 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

The doubles dream may be over. But the singles dream remains alive for Alcaraz.

Surface Breakdown:

Hard Courts:Matches: 4Alcaraz: 2 winsPaul: 2 winsGrass CourtAlcaraz: 1 win
Matches: 5
Alcaraz: 3 wins
Paul: 2 wins

Then it is Novak Djokovic v Stefanos Tsitsipas Round 13. Tsitsipas has two wins in the past. But hasn't won for the past 10 meetings. The Greek has not won since 2019. Then finally it is Anna Karolina Schmiedlova who has been the story of the tournament against either Kostyuk or Vekic who are facing off as of time of writing. Either has a big chance but the Slovak has been a big story of this tournament in her best ever run.

Djokovic v Tsitsipas Head to Head Round-Up

Total Matches Played: 13
Overall Record: Novak Djokovic leads with 11 wins to Tsitsipas' 2 win.

Surface Breakdown:

Hard Court:Matches: 8Djokovic: 6 winsTsitsipas: 2 wins
Matches: 8
Djokovic: 6 wins
Tsitsipas: 2 wins
Clay Court:Matches: 5Djokovic: 5 winsTsitsipas: 0 wins
Matches: 5
Djokovic: 5 wins
Tsitsipas: 0 wins
Grass Court:Matches: 0
Matches: 0

Notable Matches:

French Open 2021 Final: Djokovic won in five sets after being two sets down.
French Open 2020 Semifinal: Djokovic won in five sets.
Rome Masters 2022 Final: Djokovic won in straight sets.
Madrid Open 2019 Quarterfinal: Tsitsipas won in three sets.

Grand Slam Meetings:

French Open:2020 Semifinal: Djokovic won2021 Final: Djokovic won
2020 Semifinal: Djokovic won
2021 Final: Djokovic won

Key Highlights:

Djokovic has a dominant record over Tsitsipas, especially on clay and hard courts.
Tsitsipas' only victory came on a hard court during the Madrid Open in 2019.
Their matches have often been competitive, with several going to five sets, particularly in Grand Slam tournaments.

Over on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, it is the remaining Quarter-Finals in the men's tournament. Alexander Zverev will face off against Lorenzo Musetti after Muchova and Noskova take part in the Quarter-Finals of the women's doubles.

Then it is clay court specialist, Casper Ruud. He will face off against Felix Auger-Aliassime. So by the time the evening comes, the men's semi-finals will be known which will be played on Saturday. Then it is Andy Murray's potential final stand. Him and Dan Evans will face off against Fritz and Paul who could be the players to retire the legendary Brit.

Early Years and Initial Inclusion

1896 Athens Olympics: Tennis was one of the original sports included in the first modern Olympic Games. Both men's singles and doubles events were featured.
1900 Paris Olympics: Women's tennis was introduced, with Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain becoming the first female Olympic champion in history.

Interruption and Absence

1924 Paris Olympics: Tennis was featured for the last time before a long hiatus. It was dropped from the Olympic program due to disputes over amateurism rules and other administrative issues.

Reinstatement and Modern Era

1988 Seoul Olympics: After a 64-year absence, tennis was reintroduced as a full medal sport. This reinstatement marked the beginning of the modern era of Olympic tennis. Steffi Graf of Germany won the women's singles gold, achieving a "Golden Slam" by winning all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold in the same year.
2000 Sydney Olympics: Venus Williams of the United States won both the women's singles and doubles gold medals, with the doubles victory achieved alongside her sister Serena Williams.

Recent Developments

2004 Athens to 2016 Rio Olympics: The period saw champions from diverse nations, including Justine Henin (Belgium), Elena Dementieva (Russia), and Andy Murray (Great Britain), who became the first player to win two consecutive singles gold medals (2012 and 2016).
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Novak Djokovic, despite being a favorite, was upset in the semi-finals. Alexander Zverev of Germany won the men's singles gold, while Belinda Bencic of Switzerland won the women's singles gold.

Notable Achievements

Williams Sisters: Serena and Venus Williams have been particularly successful, winning multiple gold medals in both singles and doubles, solidifying their legacy in Olympic tennis history.
Steffi Graf: Her "Golden Slam" in 1988 remains one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of the sport.