Andy Murray of Great Britain competes during the men’s tennis singles gold medal match against Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 14, 2016.
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But in the end, Britain’s Andy Murray became the first tennis player in Olympic history with two singles gold medals, winning his second in a row by wearing down Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a 4-hour final Sunday night.
Murray, a three-time grand-slam champion, was patchy during the final, but still proved too good for a tiring Del Potro.
It could have been the last Olympic outing of Williams’ career, though she wouldn’t rule out a sixth Games as a 40-year-old in 2020. The 2009 US Open champion was struggling immensely to keep up with the rigours and demands of an elite tennis match in a best of five sets setting, but the fight and never-say-die application from Del Potro was incredibly admirable. A match like that [the final] as well, the build up the last 10 days or so, it’s been very emotional.
The pair both had their disadvantages in this match – for del Potro, it was his wrist problem which he has been recovering from for the past two years.
Andy Murray, of England, returns to Juan Martin del Potro, of Argentina, during their tennis gold medal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016.
“It means a lot to me”.
“I didn’t expect to get to the final; I didn’t expect to beat Djokovic”.
“At the time, it was the first time I had ever won any major event and it was a home Olympics”.
“I am living like a dream”, Del Potro said after reaching Sunday’s gold medal match.
“He’d done unbelievable, really, to get back to playing and competing again at this level after all of the issues he had”, Murray said.
But each time he faltered and Murray pounced.
“I’m so exhausted”, Murray told journalists after winning the tournament 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.
The world number two said it would be unlikely he would be able to win a third gold at the next Olympic Games in Tokyo, but said he wouldn’t rule it out completely.
They lost 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 10-7 to USA compatriots Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock. In the previous 15 Olympic Games that tennis has had full recognition, nobody has won back-to-back gold medals.
“I was close to quitting tennis”, del Potro told the ATP tour’s website in April.
“I’m excited that we had chances and put ourselves in a position to win that match and you can’t ask for more”, said Williams. “Made slightly more bearable after I switched the sound off after three games”.
They lost in the first round of the doubles while Venus was also dumped out in the singles at the first hurdle.
“To defend the singles title…”
After Max Whitlock seized two gymnastics golds, Jason Kenny triumphed again at the velodrome, Justin Rose won the golf and sailor Giles Scott guaranteed his place on top of the podium, all eyes turned to the Scot.
The seventh-seeded Russians beat fifth-seeded Timea Bacsinszky and Martina Hingis of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
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Taking bronze in men’s singles was Kei Nishikori of Japan, who defeated Nadal 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-3.
