ITF

20 ITFWorld // SUMMER 2018 ● Rafael Nadal struck the pose of biting his gold medal after continuing a remarkably successful year by beating Chile's Fernando Gonzalez in the men's singles final. Already assured of supplanting Roger Federer and ending his record-shattering 237-week reign as world No. 1, Nadal won 63 76(2) 63 to give Spain their maiden gold medal in Olympic tennis. ● Salvation for Roger Federer following a disappointing year came in the men's doubles as he ended his quest for Olympic gold with victory in the final alongside fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka. Locked in embrace and rolling on court in celebration, victory over Sweden's Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson gave Federer his much-craved Olympic joy. ● For only the second time in tennis, following Great Britain in 1908, there was a one-nation sweep of the podium as Russia won gold, silver and bronze in the women's singles. Elena Dementieva, conqueror of Serena Williams, won gold after seeing off Dinara Safina in the final, while Vera Zvonareva departed Beijing with a bronze medal. ● Venus Williams made history by winning a third gold medal – more than any other female tennis player at the time – as she once again united with her sister Serena to top the podium in the women's doubles. The Williams sisters were brutal in their dismantling of Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual, winning 62 60. 10 – 17 August BEIJING, CHINA 2008 28 July – 5 August LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN 2012 O LY M P I C S LEFT: Serena Williams overcame Maria Sharapova to complete a career Golden Slam Federer and Wawrinka in playful mood after victory in their gold medal match RIGHT: Murray replicated his 2012 success with a further gold medal in Rio de Janeiro Djokovic was one of eight tennis players to carry their country's flag during the opening ceremony ● The ever-increasing significance of tennis at the Olympic Games was reflected by a record eight players carrying the flags for their countries at the Parade of Nations in the Opening Ceremony. Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus), Novak Djokovic (Serbia), Max Mirnyi (Belarus), Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland), Maria Sharapova (Russia), Horia Tecau (Romania), Stephanie Vogt (Liechtenstein) and Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) had the honour bestowed upon them. ● In beating Maria Sharapova of Russia in the gold medal match in the women's singles, Serena Williams became the second female player after Steffi Graf in 1988 to complete a career Golden Slam in singles and the first ever across both singles and doubles. Serena produced a breathtaking performance to dismantle Sharapova 60 61 and snare her third Olympic gold medal. ● The Williams sisters were at it again in the doubles, beating Czech Republic's Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 64 64, to assume the status of the first four- time gold medallists in Olympic tennis history. Victory ensured Serena followed in the footsteps of Venus, emulating her Olympic double gold 12 years earlier. Serena later claimed that she had an "out of body experience in London". ● Andy Murray re-wrote the history books when he recorded his first best-of-five- sets win over Roger Federer to become the first British man to win Olympic singles gold since Josiah Ritchie in 1908, while Charles Dixon had been the last Briton to medal in 1920. Murray won in straight sets, 62 61 64. Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva and Vera Zvonareva ensured a clean sweep of the podium for Russia

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