Djokovic clinical but players struggle in Tokyo heat
Novak Djokovic launched his bid to stay on course for a Golden Slam with a clinical 6-2, 6-2 win over 139th-ranked Hugo Dellien of Bolivia on Saturday, as sweltering conditions in Tokyo took a toll on the players on the opening day of tennis at the Games.
Steffi Graf is the only player to have won all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold in the same year but the 34-year-old Serbian is three fifths of the way there, needing a Tokyo gold and then the U.S. Open trophy to match the German's 1988 feat.
The world number one would not have wanted to spend too much time on court in the heat and humidity and wrapped up proceedings on Centre Court on day one in about an hour.
With temperatures hovering around 33 degrees Celsius (91.4°F) with high humidity, players struggled to cope and did not find much comfort from ice bags and a tube blowing cool air.
"Very tough," Djokovic, who will face German Jan-Lennard Struff in the secodn round, said about the conditions.
"I think today, from also speaking to other players, was the hottest day so far. It's very hot but also humid. The hardcourts absorb the heat, it stays trapped in there. Not much wind, not much breeze. It was challenging definitely.
Daniil Medvedev said it was some of the worst heat he had played in after beating Kazakh Alexander Bublik 6-4, 7-6(8) in the second match on Centre Court.
Poland's Iga Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, had the chance to kick off proceedings on the main show court after Naomi Osaka's match was moved back a day due to her involvement in Friday's opening ceremony.
With media, volunteers and the players' entourage the only ones present at the 20,000-seater stadium to witness her Olympic debut, Swiatek stayed calm and composed to secure a 6-2, 6-2 win over German Mona Barthel, formerly ranked in the world's top 25.
"I'm pretty happy that I'm into the second round and not only the humidity and temperature was hard but also the sun, because on one side it was pretty hard to serve," said Swiatek, whose father Tomasz competed for Poland in rowing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Djokovic and Medvedev - the world's top two men's tennis players - led calls to Tokyo Olympic organisers on Saturday to move matches to the late afternoon for the rest of the competition to save players from the stifling conditions.
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