Zheng Qinwen defeated Donna Vekic to develop into China’s first Olympic tennis singles champion.
Zheng, who reached her first Grand Slam last on the Australian Open earlier this 12 months, ended Iga Swiatek’s three-year unbeaten run at Roland Garros within the semi-finals to ensure herself a medal.
And, though the ultimate was tighter than the scoreline urged, Zheng ensured she took high spot on the rostrum by seeing off Croatian Vekic 6-2 6-3, with Swiatek having to accept bronze.
“Nothing can describe my emotions proper now,” Zheng stated on court docket earlier than the medals ceremony.
“It is unreal, I hoped to get a medal for China and I made it, I obtained the gold. I did all the things I may.
“I fought each single match, I really feel like I had particular power and plenty of assist. My nation will probably be proud and my household who I do know will probably be screaming at dwelling by the TV.”
Poland’s Iga Swiatek completed with the bronze medal after beating Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2 6-1 on Friday.
Gold within the males’s doubles went to Australian veterans Matt Ebden and John Friends, who defeated American duo Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-7 (8-6) 7-6 (7-1) (10-8) in a particularly tight last.
Ebden’s Olympics started with a 6-0 6-1 drubbing in singles by Novak Djokovic after he took up an alternate place regardless of not having performed a match within the format for 2 years.
“Final night time, I used to be truly dreaming of an Instagram publish: the way it began, and the way it’s going,” stated the 36-year-old.
“I used to be considering of my rating eight days in the past, profitable one sport. After which I used to be considering ‘swipe proper’ and there is a gold medal picture. Perhaps I am going to should make that publish in some unspecified time in the future.
“I am tremendous joyful to get the reward since you do not at all times get the reward to your exhausting work, however while you do it is fairly candy.”
Bronze additionally went to an American pair with Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, who ended Andy Murray’s profession two days in the past, defeating combined doubles gold medallist Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic 6-3 6-4.
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