The Spanish duo beat Mergea and Tecau 6-2 3-6 6-4 to secure their country’s third gold medal of the Rio de Janeiro Games.
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No tennis player has won men’s singles gold in two straight Olympics.
“It was an unbelievable experience, especially doing that with one of my best friends, with Marc, it’s something unforgettable for me, for both of us, I think”, he said.
“Win a gold medal today after two months and a half with no practice, with no preparation at all, just working on the gym, is something that is a dream, no? We had fun and fought hard”.
The doubles win sets up Nadal for a potential golden double in the men’s events at the Rio Games as he is still alive in the singles draw.
The Argentine, who knocked out world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round, wept in his courtside chair at the end of the quarter-final in which he fired 42 winners. This is the first medal for Lopez.
Lopez won his first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June, pairing with Feliciano Lopez – they’re not related – to beat American twins Bob and Mike Bryan in that final.
Second seed Murray battled through a second successive three-setter to reach the semi-finals with a 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2) win over Steve Johnson of the United States. Nadal and Lopez claimed Spain’s fifth overall medal, following others in swimming, canoe slalom and weightlifting. Monfils double-faulted on his last match point in the tie-breaker which he had led 6/3. “Being on a team representing your country has been an extraordinary experience”, Sock said.
It was weirdly familiar for Monfils who squandered five match points against Nishikori in Miami this year. “It’s not a loss, it’s a win getting this silver medal”.
Switzerland’s top male players Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka may be missing due to injury, but Martina Hingis and Timea Bacsinszky have a chance to win gold in the women’s doubles.
“But the Olympics isn’t about me, it’s about Puerto Rico and I know how bad they want this”. A gruelling match lasting two hours and 26 minutes was a challenge for Nadal who has had an exhausting schedule and cited fatigue when he pulled out of the mixed doubles on Thursday.
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