29 July,2021 06:50 AM IST | Tokyo | PTI
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns to Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina during their third-round match yesterday. Pic/AFP
Novak Djokovic set up a quarter-final with Japan's Kei Nishikori at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday as gold medal rival Daniil Medvedev struggled with the heat, even asking the chair umpire who would be responsible if he died.
The World No. 1 continued his bid for a calendar Golden Slam by defeating 34th-ranked Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 6-3, 6-1 to extend his winning run to 21 matches.
Djokovic then returned to court to partner Nina Stojanovic in the mixed doubles. The Serbian duo won 6-3, 6-4 against Brazil's Marcelo Melo and Luisa Stefani.
After lobbying organisers to push back the 11am start time to avoid the worst of the punishing heat, Djokovic said he was pleased Thursday's matches would begin at 3pm. "I think it's great. In my opinion it should have been done a few days earlier, but it is what is and I think it's better than starting at 11,"
said Djokovic.
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Medvedev stayed on course to meet Djokovic in the men's final as the Russian second seed overcame Italy's Fabio Fognini 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. But the two-time Grand Slam runner-up again found the temperatures testing as the extreme weather policy was implemented, with the heat index topping out at 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit). "Even from the first set I didn't feel good enough with my breathing. I felt like my diaphragm was blocked, I couldn't breathe properly," said Medvedev.
Asked by the umpire if he was OK, the Russian replied: "I can finish the match, but I can die. If I die, are you going to be responsible?"
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