By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
The authority on the greatest tennis matches of all time is Steve Flink, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame member and author of the book “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time” (for sale and download here: https://a.co/d/c9XF9no)
After the sensational Novak Djokovic versus Carlos Alcaraz Olympic gold medal match in Paris won by Djokovic 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2), I had to check in with Flink to get his thoughts and perspective on what the tennis world just witnessed.
Considering the significance of this contest, it was easily the best two set match I have ever seen in 60 years of watching top flight tennis,” said Flink at the start of his email response to me.
The following is the rest of Flink’s response in full, written with the prose that tennis fans have enjoyed for decades and could very well be part of a future book in itself.
“This was the final of the Olympic Games with two of the top three players in the world going for the gold, and both players produced a scintillating match from beginning to end. To fight the way they did across two stirring sets and play at the lofty level they did with so much on the line was astounding. They have never played a match remotely like it.
This was their seventh meeting and they have had some astounding showdowns. The five set Wimbledon final that Carlos won last year was a beauty, and their four hour epic in Cincinnati when Novak came from match point down in the second set tie-break to win in a third set breaker was another gem. But the standard from beginning to end in this Olympic duel was nothing short of stupendous. Neither man broke serve in the match, although Carlos had eight break points and Novak had six.
But fittingly it all came down to Djokovic prevailing in a pair of tie-breaks. He is the game’s greatest tie-break performer ever, and his ability to produce his best under pressure was fully on display in these two sequences. In the first set tie-break, the score was tied at 3-3 but Djokovic swept four points in a row, starting that run with a beautifully angled forehand return winner and ending it with a forehand drop volley winner. The second set tie-break pattern was similar. In that one it was 2-2 and Djokovic took five points in a row to close out an incredibly hard fought 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) victory.
This was the one missing link from the Djokovic glittering resume. He already had his men’s record of 24 majors, but, having never even made the final in four previous appearances at the Olympic Games, this was one of the most important matches of his career. Alcaraz, too., was eager to keep winning when it counted. He had won the last two Grand Slam events, taking the first on the same court at Roland Garros, winning over Djokovic for the second year in a row at Wimbledon. These two men were magnificent on the red clay at Roland Garros. Alcaraz was his usual spectacular self with his wide range of talent, his explosiveness and his incomparable drop shots. Djokovic was his typical sturdy self with unrelenting depth off both sides and the willingness to attack when it mattered. But, above all else, he had one of his great serving days, winning 78% of his first serve points in the match and earning free points with regularity.
Alcaraz gave a first rate performance in defeat and Djokovic played his match of the year to win. It was also one of the finest performances of Djokovic’s career. To defeat a great champion 16 years his junior so soon after a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) drubbing in the Wimbledon final was proof once more than the 37-year-old Djokovic is a supreme competitor who knows better than anyone else how to bring out his best when he is most motivated and the stakes are exceedingly high.
