Tokyo 2020 Summer Games stadium announcer Andy Taylor recaps Elina Svitolina’s Bronze Medal victory over Elena Rybakina. In Japan, the live narration includes two voices: Japanese announcer DJ Ketchup and English announcer Andy Taylor. Together, they cover the presentation on Center Court, while additional Japanese and English speaking announcers cover Courts 1 and 2 at Ariake Tennis Park.
In her second Summer Games, Elina Svitolina earns Olympic Bronze
Tremendous come-from-behind victory for Elina Svitolina, who has plenty to celebrate this July. Shortly before the start of the Olympic Games, she and Gael Monfils married in Switzerland.
Down a set and break, somehow Elina summoned the strength to extend the match, winning a close tiebreak to force the decider. In set-3, she fell behind again; but then won five consecutive games after the second changeover to earn the victory.
Now a Bronze medalist, Elina cements her place in Olympic lore. But, quite frankly, she’d already earned the distinction.
Five years ago, Ukraine’s top talent scored one of the biggest upsets of her career – defeating World #1 Serena Williams to reach the Quarterfinals in Rio. Though she won only two games against eventual Bronze medalist Petra Kvitova in the Quarterfinals — that Olympic Round of 16 upset still resonates.
Third meeting. Remarkable Svitolina comeback to earn Olympic hardware.
Last month, Rybakina upset Svitolina during Elena’s run to the Eastbourne Semifinals. It was a tight match. Both had gone 3-sets the day prior. Today however, Svitolina was the fresher opponent. Her Semifinal loss on Thursday lasted only an hour. Meanwhile, Rybakina’s Semifinal clash with Bencic went nearly three hours. Despite being down a set and break, Svitolina had more in reserve to extend the match and earn Olympic Bronze.
[4] Elina Svitolina -06- (UKR) | Bronze Medal Announcer Introduction
Competing in her second Olympic Games – this week in Tokyo, she reached the Medal Rounds for the first time. Five years ago in Rio, she upset World #1 and reigning Olympic Gold medalist Serena Williams to reach the Quarterfinals. The year-end WTA Finals Champion in 2018, she owns 15 WTA Singles titles, and has been ranked inside the WTA’s top-10 for over five consecutive years. Representing Ukraine, the #6 player in the world, Elina Svitolina.
- FF — W — [15] Elena Rybakina -20- (KAZ) | Score: 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4
- SF — L — Marketa Vondrousova -42- (CZE) | Score: 3-6, 1-6 | RECAP
- QF — W — Camila Giorgi -61- (ITA) | Score: 6-4, 6-4 | COURT-1
- R3 — W — [14] Maria Sakkari -19- (GRE) | Score: 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 | RECAP
- R2 — W — Ajla Tomljanovic -51- (AUS) | Score: 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 | COURT-2
- R1 — W — Laura Siegemund -61- (GER) | Score: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 | COURT-1
[15] Elena Rybakina -20- (KAZ) | Bronze Medal Announcer Introduction
On Wednesday, she earned her third top-10 victory of the season, defeating World #9 Garbiñe Muguruza to reach the Medal Rounds – and tonight, competes for the Bronze medal in her Olympic Games debut. Ranked as high as World #17, she owns 2 WTA Singles titles – and last month at Roland Garros, defeated Serena Williams to reach her first Grand Slam Quarterfinal. Representing Kazakhstan, Elena Rybakina.
- FF — L — [4] Elina Svitolina -06- (UKR) | Score: 6-1, 6-7(5), 4-6
- SF — L — [9] Belinda Bencic -12- (SUI) | Score: 6-7(2), 6-4, 3-6 | RECAP
- QF — W — Garbiñe Muguruza -09- (ESP) | Score: 7-5, 6-1 | COURT-2
- R3 — W — Donna Vekic -50- (CRO) | Score: 7-6(3), 6-4 | COURT-1
- R2 — W — Rebecca Peterson -56- (SWE) | Score: 6-2, 6-3 | COURT-4
- R1 — W — Sam Stosur -186- (AUS) | Score: 6-4, 6-2 | COURT-2
SUMMER GAMES | Women’s Singles Medalists
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Amid COVID concern, the Games go on
Postponed for a year due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games finally launched on Friday, 23 July 2021. After 18-months of lockdowns, desperately trying to contain COVID’s insidious spread, the world finally developed effective vaccines. Sadly, though, 4-million lost their lives, while over 193-million contracted the virus. And Tokyo’s case count was on the rise.
But thanks to science and nearly 2-years of experience, organizers understood that it was entirely possible to responsibly stage the Summer Games without creating a super-spreader event. No fans allowed. Tickets revoked. All international visitors barred from the country – unless competing or working.
From the athlete, to the volunteer, to the Japanese announcer and English announcer — everyone involved with the Games exercised the procedures and protocols painstakingly learned through 18-months of uncertainty and despair. Quarantines. Life in bubbles. Regular hand-hygiene. Masks. Limited long-term indoor exposure to others. And of course, social distancing. But above all else: Most of the Tokyo 2020 team was vaccinated.
Come hell or high water, the Summer Games would go on.
Naomi Osaka ignites the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Cauldron
On a more positive note, one of the most distinguished honors in all of sport is to light the Olympic cauldron. Any American over 40 remembers the emotional moment in 1996 when Muhammed Ali courageously climbed the steps to light the flame in Atlanta. His body ravaged by Parkinson’s disease. That singular moment creates indelible memories.
This year, the Japanese Olympic Committee secretly bestowed the honor to 23-year-old Naomi Osaka. Originally scheduled to play the first match on Center Court Saturday morning, it was unusual on Friday to hear that her match had been moved to Sunday. Nothing further was said.
Then, at the conclusion of a subdued, yet deeply respectful opening ceremony and parade of nations – it was Naomi Osaka who climbed the steps and torched the flame that brightly burned over the Games of the 32nd Olympiad. Obviously, it was a humbling honor not lost on the 4-time Grand Slam Champion, who was making her Olympic debut.
Well represented during the parade of nations, tennis players Petra Kvitova (CZE), Jelena Ostapenko (LAT), and Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) all served as flag-bearers.
Tennis at the Summer Games
One of the premier sports featured during the Games’ initial revival, tennis still has a contentious history with the Summer Games. It fell off the radar after 1924, mainly due to conflicts between the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the IOC. The two major obstacles:
- Allowing professionals to compete in a global showcase for amature athletics.
- Scheduling. With the Summer Games so close to the conclusion of the Wimbledon Championships, the ILTF and the IOC were in direct competition for tournament participation by the sport’s top-athletes.
After a 60 year absence, tennis and the IOC worked out their differences, and the sport returned as an official event during the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. Now under the guidance of the International Tennis Federation, professionals proudly represent their home nations.
