Doubles, Women

In the doubles, the top seeds were Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková of the Czech Republic, while the ROC had a strong pairing in Yelena Vesnina, the 2016 gold medallist, and her new partner Veronika Kudermetova.

Local favourites Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara were also a fancied pairing, but the No. 2 seeds were eliminated on a third set match tie-break in the first round.

The quarter-finals saw Ash Barty, beaten again, this time on a match tie-break by the top seeds Krejčíková and Siniaková. The Czech duo were the only seeds in the last four.

Krejčíková and Siniaková were pushed in their semi-final by Vesnina and Kudermetova, and only won after a match tie-break. The other semi-final saw Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic reach her second final of the day with team-mate Viktorija Golubic.

Bencic, Roger Federer’s former mixed doubles partner, became only the fifth player after Serena (2012) and Venus Williams (2000), Andy Murray (2012), and Nicolás Massú (2004) to reach singles and doubles finals at the same Olympics since the sport’s return in 1988.

The bronze medal match saw Luisa Stefani and Laura Pigossi make history as the first Brazilians to win an Olympic tennis medal. Sadly for Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, there was no double joy as she and Viktorija Golubic lost to the number one seeds Krejčíková and Siniaková 7-5, 6-1.