Rafael Nadal, of Spain, right, returns as his partner Marc Lopez watches in their match against Romania during the men’s doubles final round at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.
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Nadal, who won the singles gold in Beijing and skipped the 2012 London Games due to a knee injury, will play Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in a semi-final clash on Saturday.
After falling to Russian Federation in the semifinal round the Americans rebounded in the bronze medal match, beating Italy 45-31 to earn the nation’s first medal in that event in 84 years.
The doubles win sets up Nadal for a potential golden sweep in the men’s tennis events at the Rio Games as he is still alive in the singles draw.
Massialas became the first American fencer to win two medals in the same Olympics since 1932, when Joseph Levis accomplished that feat.
The United States’ Jack Sock and Steve Johnson took bronze in the men’s doubles by beating Vasek Pospisil and Daniel Nestor of Canada 6-2 6-4. They defeated the Romanian team of Mergea/Tecau in three sets, 6-2, 6-2. Pospisil is Sock’s doubles partner on tour. Lopez double-faulted to love-40, then hit a mediocre lob.
Tecau and Mergea, both 31 years old, are doubles specialists and each rank among the world’s top 15 male doubles players.
But in the very next game, with Tecau serving, the Spanish duo broke right back.
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After the winners got up and shook hands with their opponents and the chair umpire, Nadal pulled Lopez in for a big hug.
