It is the success of one, but in reality it is the success of many. Of the majority. Pablo Carreño represents that squad of earthlings who work piecemeal and chop stones here and there, in search of that notch that will record their name forever. And that’s how the Asturian man, 30 years old, looks happy with the bronze that hangs around his neck. He has earned it. Novak Djokovic, collapsed inside, dodges up to five match balls, but finally bows (6-4, 6-7 (6) and 6-3, in 2h 47m) and the Spaniard tastes the Olympic metal. He falls to the concrete and gets excited. “I’ve never had a feeling like this,” he says. It is the 13th for Spanish tennis, which has not achieved one in the individual modality since Rafael Nadal did it, in Beijing 2008. He already appears next to the Balearic, Jordi Arrese (silver in 1992), Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (bronze in Barcelona and silver in 1996) and Sergi Bruguera (silver also in Atlanta). Since it reappeared in the Olympic catalog in 1988, tennis has practically not failed; Except for 2012, it has always offered harvest.
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Djokovic parades down the track like a lost soul. There is no fire or burning, no trace of that wolf that shows its jaws in rallies and bites the slightest bit that it can. His mind is still anchored in yesterday. The head of the Serbian (34 years old) turns and around, and unconsciously returns to the collapse of the previous afternoon against Alexander Zverev. Deflated and listless, he rubs ice on his face and neck, but he can’t shake off the burden or mentally reengage; He throws off his cap, looks at the empty bleachers, and takes a deep breath, all the while with his eyes downcast. The impact of the semifinals was brutal, and its repercussion proportional: the defeat against the German passed over him like a freight train.
In contrast, Carreño competes as the good diligent student. Unlike his rival, installed in another dimensional stratum, he sees a golden opportunity in bronze. Corrected in the rally and better restored in the spirit, the Asturian regains his rectitude and stands in the form of a fronton again. Khachanov hurt, but there is the story ahead; too rich the prize to let go. Good tone is back and consistency is back, so most of Djokovic’s attempts to find the gaps are in vain. The Spaniard returns everything and quickly detects the collapse, and as soon as he has a vein to inflict damage, he takes advantage of it.
He breaks in the fifth game and then solves the critical moment of the first set with integrity. It serves to close and with 5-4, Nole gets two balls of break that dissolve with an authoritarian reply. Carreño knows that the slightest sign of indecision can open the door to number one, so he takes a firm grip and strikes. There can be no compromises. How many and how many has Djokovic come from? It is difficult for him to do it this way, because the Balkan’s leads and batteries have melted, no matter how much he enjoys a chassis worthy of study, they mark in red and definitely ask him for a truce. In total, there are going to be 10 games in seven days, an outrage. Excessive for anyone.
Nole and the ‘flying’ rackets
His overwhelming appetite has turned against him, with little competitive interruption since he fired the rocket in Monte Carlo, back in mid-April; there are seven tournaments and 38 bets since then. The physical factor weighs, but the psychological factor much more. Meanwhile, Carreño distrusts and continues, continues and continues, serious and without twisting because his base is based on that: he is not a virtuoso, but he has no holes. Tender a few years ago, now he is a respected bone in the locker room, a balanced tennis player with no gaps; a guerrilla who does not surrender even to shots. In the second set, he raises an adverse 0-30 when Djokovic remains to equalize, with 5-4 in favor of the Serbian, and then he must face the final onslaught.
There, for a few moments, the real Nole reappears. Against the ropes, he saves a match point with an open serve and turns; he recovers the flame, but is late. The outburst does not reach him. After spending 10 minutes in the dressing room, he returns and things do not finish working out for him. Carreño does not allow it. The Spaniard has closed the door, denies him the break and it drives him out of his boxes. He flies a first racket to the stands and then, breaking for the one in Gijón and 3-0 up, bursts a second against the post next to the chair umpire and throws it to one side. He tries to drive away the demons, but his adversary accelerates and corners him, squeezes and does not give in. The history of this Saturday is written: Carreño is made of bronze.
This is how the man from Gijón wins metal, a medal that tastes of glory and brings him his greatest award. If two weeks ago he won the Hamburg trophy, the most important of the six that he owns in individual terms, in Tokyo he finds what he always wanted. Committed and courageous, always ready to step forward regardless of the situation, he takes the loot after a show of strength and adaptation. The Japanese tournament proposed a test of resistance and faith, not to turn our face at any time no matter how badly they came and no matter how much the kiln consumed the players, and he has stood his ground. Carreño celebrates, while Djokovic grief.
THE SERBIAN LEAVES EMPTY
Djokovic’s ambition has not been reciprocated in these Games, from which he will leave empty. The number one yielded against Carreño and later announced that he was not going to play the match for third and fourth place in the mixed doubles, along with his compatriot Nina Stojanovic. He alleged discomfort in the left shoulder.
In this way, the Olympic scoreboard of the Belgrade player will continue to reflect the bronze he obtained at the Beijing Games; in 2012 he finished fourth and in Rio he fell in the first round. Despite the praiseworthy efforts of these days, gold is resisting.
“I am physically and mentally exhausted,” he admitted, “but I don’t regret coming to the Games at all. I believe that there are no coincidences in life and that everything happens for something; I have suffered very painful defeats both in the Games and in big tournaments throughout my career, and generally those defeats have made me stronger in all aspects ”.
Heavily shocked, Nole said that he will try to get back on track in Paris 2024, and that he regretted disappointing Serbian fans. “I gave everything, because when you play for your country it is necessary to do so, but it has not been enough,” he said, trusting that the Olympic wear will not take its toll on the US Open (from August 30 to September 12).
About the rackets he blew up, he said: “It’s something that happens in the heat of battle. It is not right, of course, but I am like that; I do these things and I apologize for the message they convey, but we are all human beings. Sometimes it is difficult to control yourself ”.
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