Men's Singles / Bronze and Gold Matches
Top Seed AGASSI Defeats BRUGUERA in Three, Wins Gold
Top-seeded American Andre AGASSI brought home the United States' second tennis gold medal of these Olympic Games Saturday, defeating Sergi BRUGUERA of Spain, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1, to win the men's singles championship. His victory follows in the footsteps of teammate Lindsay DAVENPORT, who won the women's singles gold on Friday.
AGASSI had previously never lost to BRUGUERA on hardcourts, and now improves his career record against the Spaniard to 6-2. The Olympic title is the American's second of the year after winning the Lipton Championships in March.
Earlier in the day, wildcard Leander PAES became India's first-ever Olympic tennis medalist, defeating Brazil's Fernando MELIGENI, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the men's singles bronze match. PAES is the second member of his family to win an Olympic medal, as his father, Vece, was a member of India's 1972 bronze medal field hockey team. The bronze caps-off PAES' top tournament performance of the year, as he defeated three seeded players en route a semifinal loss to eventual gold medalist AGASSI.
"Hearing the anthem was literally the greatest accomplishment of my career," AGASSI said of his Olympic victory. "I will never forget what this game gave me today."
FERNANDEZ and FERNANDEZ Repeat As Gold Medalists
Top-seeded Mary Joe and Gigi FERNANDEZ won their second consecutive Olympic gold medal Saturday, successfully defending their 1992 women's doubles title with a 7-6 (6), 6-4 defeat of No. 2 seeds Jana NOVOTNA and Helena SUKOVA (CZE). The Americans become the first tennis Olympians (male or female) ever to win two consecutive gold medals in the same event in a non-demonstration year.
Early on, it looked as though SUKOVA and NOVOTNA would roll through the first set, striking the first break of serve to take a 4-3 advantage. But FERNANDEZ and FERNANDEZ maintained their resolve and broke back to 4-all on the next changeover, then held to take a 5-4 lead in the match. In the next game, the Americans would struggle to a deuce game on SUKOVA's serve, as the Czechs wiped away two set points before holding to 5-all.
The Americans would not earn another set point until 6-4 in the tiebreaker, and would not put the set away until their fifth chance at 7-6. Seemingly unfazed, NOVOTNA and SUKOVA held serve to open the first set, but NOVOTNA took an injury time-out on the next changeover to treat a pulled a stomach muscle. Despite the delay, the Czechs would hold on until NOVOTNA's serve at 3-all, when the Americans broke and pulled ahead to 4-3, their final lead of the match.
"It's always harder the first time around," Mary Joe FERNANDEZ said of the United States' second women's doubles gold medal. "This time it was tough, but I think it's more special to win at home."
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