At the Olympic Tennis Centre in Rio, the American pair of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock defeated their compatriots Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram to take the gold medal 6-7(3), 6-1, 10-7.
Williams/Ram fight to take opener on tiebreak
Both players started the final by holding their own serve. In the third game of the set, Williams and Ram were already under pressure facing two break points. Williams saved the first one with an unreadable serve. However, Ram threw a shot long of the baseline and Sock and Mattek-Sands got the first break of the match. They consolidated the break pretty comfortably and lead 3-1. However, the team of Williams and Ram would fight back. In the sixth game, they ran away to a 15-40 lead before winning the point and getting back on level terms.
But in the following game, Sock and Mattek-Sands went ahead once more. They had their first break points saved and on their second, Sock smashed a forehand which Ram couldn't deal with and he netted. Once again the American pair of Williams and Ram fought back and immediately levelled back at 4-4. From then on in the two teams couldn't be separated and a tiebreak was needed. On match point at 3-6, Ram came in and won the point with the slice at the net to grab the opening set 6-7(3).
Mattek-Sands/Sock level
The momentum quickly shifted the way of Mattek-Sands and Sock, who went on a row. They started the set by holding serve. In the second game of the set with Ram serving, the two-time mixed doubles Grand Slam champion hit a return lob and Williams attempted to play the ball back but got a touch. Mattek-Sands and Sock broke. Williams and Ram attempted to break back but had two break points saved as Mattek-Sands held serve and consolidated for 3-0.
The set got even better when they broke and went a double break up. This time, the pair of Mattek-Sands and Sock held their serve comfortably and the set was all but clinched. In the upcoming game, Williams and Ram finally got on the board but it was too late. At 30-all, Ram's attempted lob went wide which gave Mattek-Sands the chance to win the set. The 23-yar-old Nebraska native intercepted an exchange between the five-time Olympic medalist and Mattek-Sands to win the point and take the match into a deciding set tiebreaker.
Mattek-Sands/Sock win gold
Mattek-Sands and Sock got off to a great start. They ran away to a 3-0 lead. However, their American opponents responded and won six points on the bounce to go ahead.The team of Mattek-Sands and Sock then responded themselves by going on to win six points in a row including two on the Williams and Ram service game. They lead 9-6 in the final set breaker, but it was Venus Williams who was serving to stay in contention. She managed to save one point and on their second, Venus Williams netted a forehand shot. The first time Olympians Mattek-Sands and Sock were gold medalists.