Sports News Roundup: Djokovic's golden dream ends on day of upsets marred by doping slur; Gymnastics-Soviet champion ponders pressures on Biles and more

Almost six decades have passed since Latynina, now 86, clinched gold in the team event and floor exercise - two of the nine Olympic gold medals she would win for the Soviet Union - at the first Summer Games held in Tokyo. Olympics-Djokovic's golden dream ends on day of upsets marred by doping slur Top-ranked Novak Djokovic had his dreams of tennis gold dashed https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/tennis-djokovic-downed-by-zverev-mens-semi-final-upset-2021-07-30 on Friday while Ethiopia's Selemon Barega felled the reigning world 10,000 metres Olympic champion, on a day of upsets that saw doping allegations surface at the swimming pool.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

TOKYO OLYMPICS: What you need to know right now

World number one Novak Djokovic's dream of a Golden Slam was dashed in Tokyo https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/tennis-djokovic-downed-by-zverev-mens-semi-final-upset-2021-07-30 on Friday when Germany's Alexander Zverev came from a set down to beat the Serbian top seed. Here's what you need to know about the Tokyo Games:

Olympics-Beach Volleyball-Rio champion reaches knockouts, U.S. women top pool

Brazil's Rio 2016 gold medallist Bruno Schmidt and Italian silver medallists Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo booked spots in the Olympic beach volleyball knockouts after winning their final pool matches to finish with three victories each on Friday. Schmidt is now partnered by 2.10 metres-tall Evandro Junior and they trailed by a set for the first time in Tokyo before bouncing back to beat Poland's Michal Bryl and Grzegorz Fijalek 19-21 21-14 17-15.

Olympics-Gymnastics-Soviet champion ponders pressures on Biles

When Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina competed at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, her team lived in military barracks with communal bathrooms. At Tokyo 2020, Simone Biles and her U.S. team mates are staying at a hotel. Almost six decades have passed since Latynina, now 86, clinched gold in the team event and floor exercise - two of the nine Olympic gold medals she would win for the Soviet Union - at the first Summer Games held in Tokyo.

Olympics-Djokovic's golden dream ends on day of upsets marred by doping slur

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic had his dreams of tennis gold dashed https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/tennis-djokovic-downed-by-zverev-mens-semi-final-upset-2021-07-30 on Friday while Ethiopia's Selemon Barega felled the reigning world 10,000 metres Olympic champion, on a day of upsets that saw doping allegations surface at the swimming pool. Serbia's Djokovic was aiming to become the first man to complete the Golden Slam - Olympic gold and all four majors in the same year - but was undone by fifth-ranked German Alexander Zverev who fought back after losing the first set.

Olympics-Swimming-Big Saturday in the pool for Dressel and Ledecky

Caeleb Dressel can win two golds on one morning in the Tokyo pool on Saturday while U.S. team mate Katie Ledecky hopes to complete an 800m freestyle hat-trick for her seventh career Olympic title. World record holder Dressel is the clear favourite in the men's 100m butterfly, the only swimmer to qualify for the final in under 50 seconds -- his time of 49.71 the third fastest in history.

Olympics-Tennis-Djokovic inconsolable after Golden Slam dream ends

Novak Djokovic was inconsolable following his surprise loss to Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Tokyo Games on Friday, saying he was finding it hard to stay positive after his bid to become the first man to complete the Golden Slam came to an end.

The Serbian was unexpectedly beaten 1-6 6-3 6-1 by fifth-ranked Zverev, quashing his hopes of winning an Olympic singles gold medal, the only major honour missing from his long list of accolades.

Olympics-Soccer-U.S. and Canada set up semi-final date with shootout wins

The United States and Canada set up a mouth-watering semi-final in the women's Olympic soccer tournament with both teams having prevailed in penalty shootouts on Friday. After the U.S. and the Netherlands were locked at 2-2 following 90 minutes and extra time, Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema and defender Aniek Nouwen had their spot kicks saved by goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher as the Americans won 4-2.

Olympics-Baseball-U.S. thrash Israel 8-1, Dominican Republic down Mexico

Japanese league players and different generations of Major League Baseball (MLB) talent secured wins for the United States and the Dominican Republic on Friday, leaving Israel with two chances to win a game and Mexico facing a big match on Saturday. The U.S. in their first game at Tokyo 2020 thrashed Olympic newcomers Israel 8-1. Joe Ryan, 25, a top prospect who learned in the Olympic village dining hall last week that he had been traded to the Minnesota Twins from the Tampa Bay Rays, allowed a solo home run and struck out five over the first six innings.

Column-I had the "twisties" just like Simone

The world was shocked when Simone Biles withdrew from the women's Olympic gymnastics team finals on Tuesday. I wasn't.

Olympics-Table Tennis-China's Ma retains men's singles crown

Olympic and world champion Ma Long celebrated exuberantly as he retained his men's table tennis singles title at the Tokyo Games on Friday, beating compatriot Fan Zhendong 4-2. The 32-year-old clinched his fourth gold medal at his third Olympics by winning 11-4 10-12 11-8 11-9 3-11 11-7.