Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro will play defending champion Andy Murray in Sunday’s Men’s tennis gold medal match after an epic win over Spain’s Rafael Nadal, 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-5).
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Brit looks to retain Olympic gold
Andy Murray imposed his will on Kei Nishikori at the Rio Olympics on Saturday, winning their semi-final clash 6-1, 6-4 in 80 minutes. The Brit, who took gold at the London Olympics in 2012, will look to defend his title against Rafael Nadal or Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday.
Murray was nearly untouchable on serve, landing 76 per cent of first serves and never facing break point. He dominated backhand exchanges from the baseline and won nine of 13 net approaches. Outmatched from the first ball, Nishikori was able to win only 39 total points to Murray’s 61. The Japanese star went for broke on his forehand and saved Murray’s first two match points, but succumbed shortly thereafter.
Murray won gold on the grass of Wimbledon over Roger Federer in 2012 and could face fellow former champion Nadal, who was victorious in Beijing in 2008 over Fernando Gonzalez.
Britain’s Andy Murray remains on course to win back-to-back Olympic tennis gold medals after beating Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals.
The Scot won 6-1 6-4 and will play Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday’s gold-medal match (19:00 BST) after the Argentine beat Spain’s Rafael Nadal.
Del Potro, ranked 141st in the world, won 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-5).
World number two Murray, 29, is attempting to become the first player to win two Olympic singles titles.
He won his second Wimbledon – and third Grand Slam – last month.
“It’s obviously not an easy thing to do, that’s why it’s never been done before,” said Murray about the prospect of another gold medal.
“I’m going to give my best effort and I’m happy I’m guaranteed the medal, but the goal is obviously the gold.”
After coming through two gruelling matches to reach the last four, Murray dominated against Nishikori, breaking his opponent twice to win the first set in 30 minutes.
The Briton was unhappy to receive a code violation in the second set as he argued with umpire Carlos Ramos, but he remained in control of the action on court.
Nishikori appeared to wilt in the Rio heat as he dropped serve midway through the second set with a dreadful game.
Murray served his way to an unexpectedly simple victory, winning arguably the point of the tournament, a 23-shot rally, to set up a third match point.
While the first semi-final was a pretty straightforward affair, the second was anything but as a tremendous match unfolded in front of a packed and raucous stadium.
Nadal, who won gold in the men’s doubles with Marc Lopez on Friday, took the first set before Del Potro levelled.
Both players played superbly in the decider, with Nadal breaking back at 5-4 down with some wonderful shots – but it was eventually in vain as the Argentine won the decider 7-5 in the tie-break.
Del Potro, 27, who collapsed to the ground in celebration and kissed the Olympic emblem, won bronze at London 2012.
“It means a lot to me. It’s very big, maybe even more special than when I won the US Open,” said Del Potro, who was mobbed by Argentine fans at the end.
“I didn’t expect to get to the final; I didn’t expect to beat Djokovic. It’s just amazing for me.
“I am living a dream and the crowd make me cry after every match.”
Watch the best moments, including a stunning 23-shot, rally as Great Britain’s Andy Murray remains on course to win back-to-back Olympic tennis gold medals after seeing off Japan’s fourth seed Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals.
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Nishikori, Raonic stand in Murray’s path to final
World No. 2 Andy Murray returns to Cincinnati next week bidding to capture a third Western & Southern Open title. The Scot – a champion in 2008 and 2011 (d. Djokovic both years) – faces a tough route if he is to recapture the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown in Ohio with No.5 seed Kei Nishikori a likely quarter-final opponent and fourth seed Milos Raonic slated to meet him in the semi-finals.
His projected final opponent, second seed Stan Wawrinka had his best result in Cincinnati in 2012 when he fell to countryman Roger Federer in the semi-finals. Wawrinka will likely have to find a way past No. 7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals before a showdown with 2013 champion, No. 3 seed Rafael Nadal, in the semi-finals. Nadal has claimed 15 of 18 FedEx ATP Head2Head clashes with the World No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
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Murray opens his campaign against either this week’s Abierto Mexicano Tenis Mifel finalist Ivo Karlovic or Argentine Juan Monaco in the second round. He has never lost to 37-year-old Karlovic in seven career meetings, however has fallen to Monaco twice in five matches. French No. 13 seed Richard Gasquet is drawn to meet him in the third round.
Wawrinka, meanwhile, will begin against either #NextGen American wild card Jared Donaldson or Spanish former World No. 9 Nicolas Almagro. He has never faced Donaldson and boasts a 6-3 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Almagro. His third-round opponent would likely be this week’s Abierto Mexicano Tenis Mifel finalist Feliciano Lopez, or former Top 10 players Gilles Simon or Grigor Dimitrov.
Third seed Nadal, who fell to Lopez in the third round in Cincinnati last year, faces either Pablo Cuevas or Sam Querrey in the second round with a trio of #NextGen players – 14th seed Nick Kyrgios, Lucas Pouille and Borna Coric – potential third-round obstacles. Sixth seed Tomas Berdych is drawn to meet the Spaniard in what would be the pair’s 23rd FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter. Nadal has won 19 of those matches.
A semi-finalist in 2014, fourth seed Raonic faces a tricky start to his Western & Southern Open campaign against either Italian Fabio Fognini or fellow big-server John Isner. Eighth seeded #NextGen star Dominic Thiem or French No. 9 seed Gael Monfils would be his expected quarter-final opponent.
Seven-time champion Roger Federer and five-time finalist Novak Djokovic will be missing from Cincinnati due to injuries.
Ivo Karlovic to meet winner of all Spanish semi-final in final
Ivo Karlovic is through to his third ATP World Tour final from his past four events after Dusan Lajovic retired with wrist and elbow pain in the Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Mifel semi-finals on Friday. The No. 3 seed looked on his way to winning his fifth FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting from as many encounters with the Serbian after taking the opening set 6-2 before Lajovic called time at 1-1 in the second set.
It marked an unfortunate end for the World No. 72 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, after taking down No. 2 seed Bernard Tomic and No. 7 seed Nicolas Almagro en route to his third semi-final. For 37-year-old Karlovic, it extends an impressive run of form of late, in which he has won 13 of his past 15 matches.
“I’m really happy that I’m in the final but then again I know him really well and know that he’s a really good guy so I would never wish this for him,” Karlovic said. “I began really aggressive and that’s my game. I was going to the net and he was missing all the passing shots.”
The Croatian will bid to win his eighth ATP World Tour final against either top seed Feliciano Lopez or Pablo Carreno Busta. “This is what I was hoping for when I arrived here,” he said. “I was doing really well in the last month or so. I made finals in Newport and Washington and also here now. I’m really happy about that.”
Johnson/Sock win bronze
Rafael Nadal teamed with countryman Marc Lopez to win the gold medal in men’s doubles tennis at the Rio Olympics on Friday, beating Romania’s Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the final. Lopez/Nadal were down a break in the deciding set, but swept the last three games to prevail. The win capped off a busy day for Nadal, as the 2008 singles gold medalist (d. Gonzalez) came back from a set down to secure his 800th match win in the singles quarter-finals over Thomaz Bellucci.
The Spaniards, seeded fifth, landed 81 per cent of first serves in the opening set and did not face a break point. Mergea/Tecau relied on power to level the match, firing 19 winners (46 total) to send the match to a deciding set. The Romanians appeared in command after breaking Lopez to love in the seventh game of the final set, but could not hold on and succumbed after two hours and 30 minutes.
Americans Steve Johnson and Jack Sock won the bronze medal after topping Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 6-4. Johnson/Sock used their heavy forehands to good effect against the Canadians’ net-rushing game. They hit twice as many winners (26 to 13) and did not face break point in the 63-minute win. It was the second match of the day for Johnson, who pushed Andy Murray to three sets in the singles quarter-finals.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez won gold in the men’s doubles in Rio.
They beat Romania’s Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau 6-2 3-6 6-4.
Nadal is also through to the semi-finals of the men’s singles after beating Thomasz Bellucci of Brazil in three sets and will face Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina.
Jack Sock and Steve Johnson of USA won the bronze medal with a 6-2 6-4 win over Daniel Nestor and Vasek Popisil of Canada.
Nadal, who won men’s singles gold in Beijing in 2008, could face Britain’s Andy Murray in the final.
The Scot faces Japan’s Kei Nishikori in Saturday’s other semi-final.
Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Heather Watson have been knocked out of the mixed doubles, losing 6-4 6-4 in the quarter-finals to India’s Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna.
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Second seed Andy Murray beat No. 12 seed Steve Johnson 6-0, 4-6, 7-6(2) to reach the semi-finals in Rio on Friday. The defending Olympic champion, who came back from a break down at 3-4 in the third set, fended off 31 winners from the American and won 78 per cent of points off his first serve to advance to the last four in two hours and 11 minutes. Murray next faces the winner of fourth seed Kei Nishikori and No. 6 seed Gael Monfils.
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Also in action today: Rafael Nadal vs Thomaz Bellucci, Juan Martin del Potro vs Roberto Bautista Agut, Steve Johnson/Jack Sock vs Daniel Nestor/Vasek Pospisil for doubles bronze and Marc Lopez/Rafael Nadal vs Florin Mergea/Horia Tecau for doubles gold.