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.
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epa05477799 Spain’s Rafael Nadal in action against Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during their Rio 2016 Olympic Games Men’s Singles match at the Olympic Tennis Centre in the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 12 August 2016. Nadal and Lopez defeated the Romanians 6-2 3-6 6-4 while American duo Steve Johnson and Jack Sock beat Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil 6-2 6-4 to clinch bronze.
“To win a gold medal today, after 2½ months with no practice, with no preparation at all, just working in the gym, is something not easy”, he said.
The 30-year-old missed out in London because of injury but was finally able to carry his country’s flag at the opening ceremony at the Maracana.
He made a decision to give it a go and has not yet lost, winning five matches in the doubles and four so far in the singles, where he will play Juan Martin Del Potro in the semi-finals on Saturday. “We fight hard. The only thing that we can say is that we are very, very happy”.
“Sharing these feelings with Rafa is really a dream come true”, said Lopez, who has now won five doubles titles with Nadal.
Tecau paid tribute to Nadal whose all-court skills proved crucial. Mergea sailed a forehand long to set up a break point, then put a volley into the net, making it 4-all.
“He can hit an angle in every shot”. You have to play with precision and play to win most of the time.
Puig, ranked 37th in the world, is assured at least a silver medal – the first Olympic tennis medal for her country, and the first Olympic medal for a Puerto Rican woman.
They broke for a 3-1 lead and saved two break-back points in the ninth game to level the final on a chilly night in the Brazilian city.
Yet Mergea then made a mess of successive overheads to hand Nadal and Lopez a hard-fought victory.
The Spanish pair had cruised through the first set of the final 6-2 on the back of breaks in the fifth and seventh games.
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Wimbledon champion Murray only managed to overpower U.S. player Steve Johnson in the tiebreak of the third set with a 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) win.
