The 29-year-old Scot, victor of three grand slams, called the Rio encounter “one of the hardest matches I’ve had to play for a big title”.
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It was only the second time the pair had met, but while Murray had completed a 6-2 6-4 win on another hard court joust in Shanghai a year ago, this one proved altogether more problematic as Johnson – who enjoyed 31 winners compared to 24 by his world number two opponent – simply refused to slip quietly into the night after being whitewashed in the first set.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Murray won a singles gold and mixed doubles silver at the All England Club.
Five straight games from the Italian brought him level at one set all and left Murray needing to fight hard to keep his medal hopes alive.
Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who will still be in his prime at his home Olympics, secured a bronze medal in Rio by beating Nadal 6-2 6-7 (1) 6-3 on Sunday. He claimed a gold medal for Spain in men’s doubles with partner Marc Lopez on Friday.
Johnson might have caught Murray a little off guard early in the second set. Del Potro, the bronze medallist in London, has drawn energy from boisterous crowds of fans from neighbouring Argentina at the Games.
Andy Murray is the first man to win Olympic singles tennis gold on two occasions.
Murray leads del Potro 5-2 in their previous match-ups but certainly won’t underestimate the Argentine when they meet on Centre Court. “That last service game I think was the only one that went to deuce on my serve, maybe two in the match, but I didn’t give him any opportunities on my serve and I was very aggressive when I was returning, so yeah, it was a good performance”.
Whitlock took two gold medals as he followed up becoming the first British male to win an Olympic medal on the floor with a second gold on the pommel horse 75 minutes later with Smith in second in a Team GB 1-2. The 28-year-old won the Australian Open earlier this year, while Puig has never made it to the final eight in a Grand Slam tournament.
One thing Murray certainly should not lack is confidence.
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.
He does have to watch out for Juan Martin Del Potro, the man who eliminated Djokovic, as he is playing in the other semifinal against Rafael Nadal, the third seed in the tournament.
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Neither showed any physical weakness in a three-hour contest that was played in a raucous din and which ended with Del Potro flat on the court after a 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7/5) victory.
