In the Olympic women’s singles final, Puerto Rico’s Puig defeated Kerber in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, to win the island’s first gold medal.
Advertisement
The 29-year-old world No.2 was superb from start to finish in Rio and did not face a break point in the 6-1, 6-4 victory.
He now awaits the victor of the second semi-final between 2008 gold medallist Rafael Nadal and 2012 bronze medallist Juan Martin del Potro.
Murray, who had a 17-match run in 2011, also served pretty much impeccably, not only never facing a break point but getting taken to deuce only twice.
I went for a 6-4 opening set to Murray, but he ended up recording that score in set two instead, as he cruised past a worn out Nishikori 6-1 in the first set.
Andy Murray remains on course to be the first man to win two Olympic singles titles after a routine 6-1, 6-4 victory over Kei Nishikori.
He won his second Wimbledon – and third Grand Slam – title last month.
“After carrying the flag, I didn’t want to go and bomb out in the first round and not play well”.
“Andy gave me a lot of pressure and my concentration just wasn’t there to beat him”, said the fourth seed.
The man who defeated Roger Federer on the All England Club’s Centre Court to win the 2012 gold carries an 11-match Olympic winning streak into the final.
Though Nishikori’s speed allowed him to punch back against Murray’s blazing ground strokes, the Japanese player was plagued by too many unforced errors.
“I think he played well”, said world No. 7 Nishikori.
“I didn’t say “stupid umpire”, I said “stupid umpiring”.
Murray’s match turned out to be the appetiser for the second semi-final between Del Potro and Nadal, which more than lived up to its billing.
Nadal’s bid for an unprecedented second Olympic singles gold medal ended with the thrill-a-minute semifinal loss.
Nadal tackles del Potro buoyed by his men’s doubles gold with Marc Lopez on Friday night. Prior to the Games, Nadal was sidelined with a wrist injury that forced him to sit out Wimbledon this year.
“I don’t understand the reason for that when I have only one match to play”.
Murray looked emotional at the end after taking three match points to close the tie out, having nervously missed the first two and then set up a third with an incredible backhand pass while in the midst of falling over.
But Kerber, the world’s No. 2 female player who is known for her aggressive counter-attacking style, has delivered consistently dominant performances so far in Rio.
Advertisement
The gold medal champion found himself cast in the role of Olympic sprinter racing corner to corner chasing Kei Nishikori’s drives.
