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Zverev follows up win over Djokovic with Olympic gold

Posted August 01, 2021 7:00 am

By ANDREW DAMPF

during the men's single gold medal match of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) The Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) - Alexander Zverev produced a comeback win over top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

Then a dominant performance against Karan Khachanov in the final.

The fifth-ranked German earned Olympic gold in style.

Zverev overwhelmed Russian opponent Karan Khachanov 6-3, 6-1 at the Tokyo Games on Sunday for the biggest title of his career.

'œThis is so much bigger than anything in the tennis world - in the sports world,'ť Zverev said.

The 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Zverev controlled the match with his big serve and a confident two-handed backhand, never really giving the 25th-ranked Khachanov a chance.

Zverev's previous best performance was reaching the final of last year's U.S. Open, where he wasted a two-set lead in a five-set loss to Dominic Thiem.

'œThere is nothing better than this,'ť Zverev said. 'œYou're playing for everybody involved. This is not only for yourself; this is for everybody.'ť

IOC president Thomas Bach watched his fellow German win the title as a group of about 10 anti-Olympic protesters across the street from the Ariake Tennis Park made themselves heard inside Center Court. Play was not interrupted.

'œWe all heard it. It was quite loud,'ť Zverev said.

It's been quite a run for Zverev, who also dominated in the final two sets against Djokovic.

Besides serving six aces, Zverev also showed his touch with a delicate topspin lob winner midway through the second set.

Combined with a series of backhand winners from Zverev that landed just inside the lines, Khachanov grew frustrated to the point that he slammed a ball high into the mostly empty stands between serves with Zverev ahead 5-0 in the third.

While the heat was again a factor with the temperature at 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) and a heat index of 99 degrees F (37 degrees C), Zverev finished off the match so quickly - in 79 minutes - that it didn't really make an impact.

When it was over - after a big serve out wide on his first match point led to an error from Khachanov - Zverev went face-down on the court and cried.

Zverev joined Steffi Graf as the only Germans to win gold in singles, with Graf having won in 1988 when she achieved the Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympics in the same year.

Djokovic also had a chance at the Golden Slam - until his loss to Zverev.

Djokovic also lost the bronze medal match to Pablo CarreÃ±o Busta of Spain on Saturday.

In the women's doubles final, the top-seeded Czech team of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova beat the Swiss pair of Belinda Bencic and Viktorija Golubic 7-5, 6-1.

Bencic won gold in singles a day earlier by beating another Czech player, Marketa Vondrouova.

Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani of Brazil took the bronze in women's doubles.

In mixed doubles, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Andrey Rublev beat Russian teammates Elena Vesnina and Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-7 (5), 13-11 for gold.

Ash Barty and John Peers of Australia won bronze.

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Associated Press reporter Syd Fryer contributed to this report.

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Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf

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More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, serves to Karen Khachanov, of the Russian Olympic Committee, during the men's single gold medal match of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) The Associated Press

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, reacts after winning the men's single gold medal match of the tennis competition against Karen Khachanov, of the Russian Olympic Committee, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) The Associated Press

Karen Khachanov, of the Russian Olympic Committee, wipes his face during the men's single gold medal match of the tennis competition against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) The Associated Press

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns a shot to Karen Khachanov, of the Russian Olympic Committee, during the men's single gold medal match of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) The Associated Press

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, left, speaks with guest during the men's single gold medal match of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) The Associated Press

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Andrey Rublev, of the Russian Olympic Committee, react to a point during the mixed doubles gold medal match of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) The Associated Press

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