Monica Puig, of Puerto Rico, celebrates after winning the gold medal against Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the final round at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. “I wanted it so bad”. But after the break, Kerber regrouped and seemed poised to hold serve, lashing the court with long, angled shots.
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In an nearly unbearable climax, she saved six break points and had four match points before forcing her illustrious rival to shove a closing forehand into the tramlines, and turned in a state of disbelief to accept the acclaim of her fans.
As for her plans after the Olympics, Puig said, “I know my life is going to change a bit”. She’s only the second unseeded tennis player to medal at women’s tennis since Alicia Molik won bronze at Athens in 2004.
Puig impressed with her high-speed game, her relaxed manner and her fighting spirit that was stoked by the frenetic support from her Puerto Rican fans who have nicknamed her Pica Power.
“She wasn’t going to give it to me”, Puig said.
Fernandez, a Puerto Rican who won Olympic gold in doubles in 1992 and 1996 but did so while representing the United States, has dealt with plenty of social-media criticism in recent days as the wounds caused by her decision from a generation ago were reopened, in part from her own Twitter commentary.
In today’s final she was the better player from start to finish, and the more stoic and focused one as well.
Puig has been the surprise of the Olympic tennis event, playing the best tennis of her career to reach the gold medal match and dealing out upsets to the likes of French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova along the way. Puig dealt with the first two before Kerber missed another easy smash, firing it into the net to take the score to deuce. She was hitting everything, she played a great match.
Kerber left the court after the first set for treatment to her lower back and looked like she had turned things round when she levelled the match. As the match progressed, it became apparent that Puig’s explosive ball-striking was causing the German massive problems throughout.
“I think she came here with no pressure and I think she played one of the best weeks of her career”. Those exchanges whipped the crowd in Rio into a frenzy of applause and appreciation.
Murray, on the other hand, defeated Japan’s Kei Nishikori to not only return to the Olympic Gold Medal match, but also guarantee himself a third medal and become the most successful member of tennis’ “Big Four”, Olympics-wise.
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The 22-year-old claimed the first set as Kerber suffered a shoulder injury. Migration to the USA has withered Puerto Rico’s tax base, leaving the island with a 45% poverty rate. “Puerto Rico!” and celebrated with Puig.
