Djokovic, Alcaraz dominate in Olympic openers

Serbian Novak Djokovic and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz made fast starts Saturday at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Djokovic raced to a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Australian Matthew Ebden, needing just 53 minutes to reach the second round. The 37-year-old, who is the top seed in Paris, won 63 per cent of his return points and struck 24 winners in front of a packed crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

A 24-time major champion who has spent 428 weeks as World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Djokovic could next play longtime rival Rafael Nadal in a blockbuster second-round clash. Nadal faces Marton Fucsovics in the first round. The 98-time tour-level titlist Djokovic leads Nadal 30-29 in their Lexus ATP Head2Headseries. Djokovic is 5-0 against Fucsovics.

The Belgrade native is making his fifth Olympics appearance, with his best result being a bronze medal in Beijing in 2008.

Second seed Alcaraz defeated Lebanon’s Hady Habib 6-3, 6-1 in the first round. Making his Olympics debut this fortnight, the 21-year-old looks to add to his standout young career, having won 15 tour-level trophies, by becoming the second player to win the Roland Garros men’s singles title and the Olympic men’s singles gold medal in the same year (Rafael Nadal, 2008). The World No. 3 also won in Indian Wells and at Wimbledon this year.

? @hardpicstennis #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/q171zUXO5j

Up next for Alcaraz is Cameron Norrie or Tallon Griekspoor. The Murcia native made it two wins on the day when he returned to court Saturday evening to partners Nadal for a 7-6(4), 6-4 doubles win against Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molenti.

Seventh seed Taylor Fritz also opened his Paris campaign with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Alexander Bublik. The American awaits Jack Draper or Kei Nishikori in the second round.

Daniil Medvedev advanced Saturday evening with a 6-2, 6-1 win against Australia's Rinky Hijikata. The fourth seed in Paris, Medvedev advanced to the quarter-finals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

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