An astonishing three-hour battle unfolded in Paris as Novak Djokovic finally managed to win the elusive Olympic gold.
As Novak Djokovic finally clinched the first set of the Olympic final after 94 minutes, even tennis fans likely needed a breather and a leg stretch.
The Olympic final was an exhibition of true sporting greatness as the top two seeds met in Paris, with a chance for Djokovic to avenge his back-to-back Wimbledon final defeats at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz.
While the first set was good, the second was just as impressive with the pair still unable to be separated until yet another tie-break.
The only hiccup however was that those who may have left the room to grab a drink, returned to a completely different Olympic event, with the BBC unable to show the remainder of the match.
Tennis fans lash out at ‘ridiculous’ BBC after being unable to watch the remainder of the Olympic final
Fans were forced to watch the beginning do the match on the BBC’s ‘red button’, before the coverage changed to BBC One.
However with the opening set over, viewers returned to the uneven bars gymnastics final.
One furious fan wrote: “A classic set of tennis between Djokovic and Alcaraz for the gold medal and BBC ends footage of it. Unbelievable. Thanks BBC,” with another simply branding it a “shambles.”
A disgruntled viewer said: “BBC #OlympicGames coverage has been absolute worst. Djokovic is playing Alcaraz in tennis final. Superstar of golf having epic battle in closing stages. They are showing the shooting and some gymnastics. Been like that whole #Olympics.”
Again to the outrage of fans, one said: “The fact that the BBC aren’t showing the Alcaraz vs Djokovic final is ridiculous. So I can’t watch the best in tennis battle it out for a gold medal, but I can watch shooting again.”
Another added: “This BBC coverage of the Olympics is so poor I shouldn’t have to change the channel 3 times trying to watch the Tennis gold medal final only for coverage on it to completely stop.”
It’s not the first time the BBC have left tennis players and fans furious
The BBC’s Olympic deal is a little complicated, with the broadcaster limited in the number of hours it can show the Games, with Discovery Plus leading the coverage in Paris.
The broadcaster has been no stranger to tennis controversy, with Djokovic storming out of a BBC interview during Wimbledon.
While many praise the tightness of their Wimbledon coverage with its impressive list of pundits and commentators, the BBC has clearly disappointed its viewers of late.
The BBC surely would have felt reluctant to stop the coverage of what was always going to be a historic match.
However, with many viewers without a subscription to Discovery Plus and therefore no way of watching a whole host of Olympic events in Paris, the BBC’s dodgy coverage may leave a bitter taste for longer than they’d have hoped.
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