Novak Djokovic admitted he got "a little bit too comfortable" before rallying to beat Rafael Nadal in their mouth-watering second-round Olympic meeting. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)
Billed as their 'last dance', the great rivals faced off for a record 60th time in the Open Era, with Djokovic coming out on top with a 6-1 6-4 straight-sets win.
It was not quite so straightforward for the Serb though, as Nadal showed his fight in the second set, fighting from 4-0 down to tie it at 4-4 before Djokovic wrestled back control to win.
The 37-year-old is the first player to win 15 men's singles matches at the Olympics since tennis returned to the summer programme in 1988, but he is still searching for an elusive first gold medal.
And despite a slightly sloppy finish to the second set, Djokovic was pleased with his overall performance.
"At 6-1, 4-0, I got a little bit too comfortable," Djokovic said. "At 4-1, I played a little sloppy service game, and you can't give any chances to Nadal because he is going to use them and comeback.
"Especially on this court. The crowd getting involved, but it was a crucial game at 4-4, trying to break his serve and then serve against the wind with new balls.
"It was a very close encounter, but I am very pleased with the way I played."
The win was also Djokovic's 31st against Nadal, the most match wins against a single opponent by anyone in the Open Era.
With this potentially the last-ever meeting, Djokovic reflected on just how far they had come since first facing off at Roland-Garros in the French Open quarter-finals in 2006.
"Back in 2006, I don't think we would have thought we would be playing against each other on the same court at the Olympics," he added.
"So, I think we will appreciate this match very much. I think our rivalry and I think for the sport itself.
"I think there was a lot of attention and interest directed from sports towards us. It is unfortunate for him that he wasn't at his best, but I did everything I could to make him feel uncomfortable."
Djokovic will face Germany’s Dominik Koepfer in the next round.
