XBy Victor Kanayo
Multiple Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic is now edging closer to an Olympics gold after overcoming a gritty Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic’s comeback victory is probably the last chapter of their epic tennis rivalry at the Paris Olympics.
As forecasters issued a heat warning for Paris and surrounding areas, the hottest ticket in town was at Roland Garros, where Djokovic and Nadal clashed for a 60th time.
Coming into the match, Djokovic held a razor-thin 30-29 edge in their rivalry but the Spaniard had always ruled the roost on the clay in the French capital down the years.
Age and injuries have caught up with the Spanish great however, and he had warned before the match he would struggle to be competitive with Djovokic.
That proved painfully prescient in the first set as the ruthless Serb dispatched the former king of clay 6-1.
But Nadal rolled back the years in the second set, roared on by a packed Roland Garros crowd, fighting back from 4-0 down to 4-4 with two breaks of serve.
Djovokic found an extra gear at the end to claim a 6-1, 6-4 victory, the two tennis legends embracing at the net and Nadal waving to the Roland Garros faithful.
