Andy Murray and Laura Robson win Olympic silver medal for Team GB | Sport | The Guardian Andy Murray and Laura Robson win Olympic silver medal for Team GB • Belarussian pair Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka win gold • Final goes to champions' tie-breaker after ending one set all Sunday 5 August 2012 13.53 EDT First published on Sunday 5 August 2012 13.53 EDT Share on Messenger Close And for dessert at Wimbledon, silver. It was always going to be a major assignment for Andy Murray to back up in the mixed doubles final with Laura Robson against two of the best in the discipline, Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi, after his singles triumph less than an hour earlier. In a tight, entertaining contest, the Belarussians won 2-6, 6-3, 10-8, the super-breaker weirdly anticlimactic – although obviously not for the winners. It was a big day for both of them: a gold to go with her singles bronze for Azarenka, and Mirnyi's first, and almost certainly last, Olympic gold at 35.

"They are a really good team," Robson said. "It was tough to lose. I just want to thank Andy for playing with me. It's been one of the best weeks of my life. I was just happy to be in the final." Murray, who looked as if he could go another few sets, said: "She played unbelievably well, great returns. It was down to just one or two points. I would have signed up for gold and silver at the start. It was just annoying to lose in the super‑breaker." A few fans had left for home after Murray's thrilling straight-sets victory over Roger Federer to win Great Britain's 16th gold medal of the Olympics, and those who stayed behind braced themselves for a double celebration when the British pair, in sublime form, raced to 4-0 in just 15 minutes. Robson's reflexes were razor sharp at the net and Murray, belting the ball frighteningly hard at times, found space wide and deep, mostly in the vicinity of Azarenka.

They looked in good shape taking the first set in half an hour, and the crowd Mexican-waved with their usual late-afternoon enthusiasm – although the sight of the Belarus flag in the royal box may have been a discordant backdrop for crustier elements of the All England Club. You let these people in and, in two shakes, they've got their feet up on the furniture. But like the monarch's double who jumped from the helicopter during the opening ceremony, this is not your "actual" Wimbledon. It is the Olympics, and all the better for it, in many ways. Every day has been People's Sunday. Mixed doubles is a curious spectacle, nevertheless, a playground for bullies, in some ways, and who could blame either of the men for picking out the opponent less likely to get the ball back? That said, Robson, the youngest player of the four, and playing in by some way the biggest match of her life, contributed significantly, especially in the first set, as her relaxed racket intercepted several of Mirnyi's crosscourt efforts.

There was little in it in the second set, although Azarenka and Mirnyi took heart from an early break and were hitting their strokes with increased confidence in the tie-break, first to 10 points. Murray and Robson looked out of it at 0-3 but levelled, then gritted their teeth in the race to 10 points. A crying baby interrupted play at 5-4, when Murray got them to 5-5 on Mirnyi's serve, and the atmosphere was tense. With Murray serving as well as he can have done all year, they changed ends at 6-6, but Mirnyi picked out Robson at the net off a much slower second serve by the Scot, and the momentum was with Belarus. Azarenka held and Robson served to stay in the match. Murray got them to 7-9. When Mirnyi shanked Robson's serve the lead was cut to a point and a hush fell over the crowd as he served for the gold medal. Azarenka clinched it with a deft backhand that speared awkwardly at Robson's ankles, and the teenager could do little more than put a racket on it.

Still, she has an Olympic medal – not bad after squeaking into the singles at the last minute and losing her opening women's doubles with Heather Watson. And Murray won't be complaining about a bit more silverware. What a day it was for him. Andy MURRAY - Olympic Tennis | Great Britain Andy MURRAY Olympic Games 2008 , 2012 Murray claims place in Olympic tennis history Rio 2016 saw Great Britain’s Andy Murray become the first player to win back-to-back Olympic singles titles in tennis, a sport that featured on the programme between 1896 and 1924 and had demonstration status from 1968 to 1984 before making a full return to the Games at Seoul 1988. Victorious against Roger Federer in the London 2012 final, Murray, who was his country’s flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony in Rio, retained his title with a gruelling four-set victory over Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro. In outlasting his dogged opponent to win 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, the Scot wrote his name in the Olympic record books.

“Emotionally, it was tough. Physically, it was hard,” said a fatigued but elated Murray afterwards. “There were so many ups and downs in the match. We both had our chances and it was one of the toughest matches that I’ve played to win a big event, for sure. I’m just happy I came out on top. I’ve had some tough defeats in these last couple of years, losing Grand Slam finals. Obviously, I’ve also managed to win a few big tournaments, which says a lot about my game.” One of the best returners on the tour, Murray has gradually honed his considerable skills over the years, improving every aspect of his game, not least his temperament, under the watchful eye of his various coaches. A talented footballer in his younger years, to the extent that he was scouted by Glasgow Rangers, he turned his back on the game for good at the age of 15, choosing instead to devote his energies entirely to tennis. A long-awaited breakthrough Murray began his long climb to the top in 2006 and won his maiden ATP Tour title at Queen’s three years later. Success on the Grand Slam stage would take a good deal longer to arrive.

Beaten by Federer in the 2008 US Open final, he would lose again to the Swiss in the 2010 Australian Open and 2012 Wimbledon finals, setbacks that sandwiched defeat to Djokovic in the 2011 Australian Open final. The Olympics would provide the turning point of Murray’s career, however. Beaten in the first round at Beijing 2008, the Briton atoned with a commanding display on the grass of Wimbledon, the scene of his third Grand Slam final defeat to Federer just a few weeks earlier. Inspired by his home crowd, the Briton sealed a place in the Olympic final with a 7-5 7-5 semi-final win over number two seed Djokovic. Waiting for him there was his Swiss nemesis, the then world No1. Undaunted, Murray broke serve in the sixth game of the first set and served it out in style. A rare Federer double fault sealed the second set for the home favourite, who then closed out an emphatic 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 victory by dropping only a solitary point on his serve in the third.

At the age of 25 he had become Great Britain’s first Olympic gold medallist in the men’s singles since Josiah Ritchie at London 1908, an achievement he described as “the greatest moment of my life”. Knocked out of the men’s doubles with his brother Jamie, Murray just missed out on a second London 2012 gold with Laura Robson in the mixed doubles, the British pair losing the final on a tie break to Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi of Belarus. Hitting the heights Murray followed up his ground-breaking Olympic triumph by winning his first Grand Slam crown a few weeks later, beating Djokovic in the US Open final. In doing so he became the first British player to win a major title since Fred Perry in 1936 and also gained membership to the so-called Big Four, along with Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. At Wimbledon the following year he got the better of the Serb once more, beating him in straight sets in the final to give Great Britain a first home winner since Perry 77 years earlier.

Then, in 2015, Murray almost single-handedly carried his country to Davis Cup glory for the first time in 79 years, winning all eight of his singles matches and all three of his doubles outings, with GB claiming the famous “salad bowl” with a 3-1 defeat of Belgium. Murray began 2016 by losing a third Australian Open final, this time to Djokovic, who got the better of him again at Roland Garros, where the British player won through to his first French Open final. A second Wimbledon title came his way a few weeks later, however, with Murray defeating Canada’s Milos Raonic in straight sets. That win on home grass set the Briton up for his title defence at Rio 2016, where he achieved yet another career milestone. “Getting to carry the flag at the Opening Ceremony was an amazing experience,” he said, looking back on his Rio adventure. “It’s a great honour to get the opportunity to do that. I found that quite emotional. After the day I did it, I sort of had to regroup and get my mind on the matches.

A match like that [the final] as well, the build-up the last 10 days or so, it’s been very emotional. I’m just very happy to have got over the line.” Murray went on to end 2016 on the highest of highs. On 5 November, at the age of 29 years, 5 months and 23 days, he reached the final of the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris and in the process became the 26th player to rise to No1 in the ATP Rankings and the first British player top them since their inception in 1973. In doing so, Murray ended Djokovic’s long reign as the world’s best, one that stretched back to July 2014. The two-time Olympic champion celebrated in style the following day, defeating the USA’s John Isner in the final to cement his newly won position at the pinnacle of men’s tennis.

Andy Murray wins men's singles Olympics tennis gold - BBC Sport BBC Sport Andy Murray wins men's singles Olympics tennis gold By David Ornstein Media playback is not supported on this device Archive: Murray beats Federer to win London 2012 gold Andy Murray captured the biggest title of his career with an emphatic victory over Roger Federer in the Olympic men's singles final at Wimbledon. It's number one for me - the biggest win of my life Andy Murray Murray beat the Swiss world number one in straight sets, 6-2 6-1 6-4, on a raucous Centre Court. The 25-year-old is the first British man to win the Olympic singles gold medal since Josiah Ritchie in 1908. He had never beaten Federer in a best-of-five-sets match and lost to him in this year's Wimbledon final. Murray's triumph came four weeks to the day since that 6-4 5-7 3-6 4-6 loss to Federer at the All England Club. "It's number one for me - the biggest win of my life," said Murray.

"I have had a lot of tough losses in my career and this is the best way to come back from the Wimbledon final." Media playback is not supported on this device Murray on 'biggest win' of career Murray later faced a second Olympic final in a day, but he and mixed doubles partner Laura Robson could not overcome Belarusian top seeds Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi. They lost 2-6 6-3 10-8 in a champions' tie-break decider and had to settle for silver. Team GB remain third in the London 2012 medal table, with Murray's singles triumph in just an hour and 56 minutes the 16th gold medal of a glorious Games for the host nation. Afterwards he climbed into the stands to celebrate with his girlfriend, family and support team as Federer again missed out on the one accolade missing from his CV. Murray then mounted the podium with Federer and bronze medallist Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, who beat Serbia's Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-4 in an hour and 48 minutes earlier in the day.

There were no obvious tears, but it was clear how much this meant to Murray as he sang along to parts of the national anthem and then draped himself in a union jack. Having suffered a shock first-round defeat by 77th-ranked Yen-Hsun Lu in Beijing four years ago, he will be delighted to have contributed this time round. Analysis "What a response from 28 days ago. To win 6-2 6-1 6-4 on Centre Court... he's not only beaten Federer, he's taken him apart. To go from 2-2 in the first set to 6-2 5-0 - that doesn't happen to Roger Federer. There were tears of disappointment after the Wimbledon final but he should enjoy every minute of this." Murray becomes the first Briton to claim an Olympic men's singles medal since Charles Dixon took silver at the 1920 event in Antwerp. Victorious over Djokovic in the semi-finals, Murray troubled an error-strewn Federer from the outset. After saving two break points in the opening game of the match, he broke serve in game six before holding for 5-2 with two booming aces.

Murray buried a backhand passing shot to wrap up the 37-minute first set but, given he also took the opener in the Wimbledon final, there remained a sense of caution around the stadium. That caution turned into belief when a forehand pass clipped a net cord to elude Federer in game two of the second set and he then saved six break points to hold for 3-0. Federer looked agitated and his fans dejected and a rare double fault let Murray strike again before the Scot swiftly served out to extend his advantage. The Scot's performance continued to improve as his opponent's faded and Federer's delivery was breached decisively in game five of the third set as Murray powered towards the finishing line, dropping just one point on serve as he closed out with an ace. "I didn't expect that at the start of the week," added Murray after collecting his gold medal. "I thought I'd go deep into the tournament but I felt so fresh today.

It's amazing." London 2012 Olympics: Andy Murray and Laura Robson double up to make mixed final | London Evening Standard London 2012 Olympics: Andy Murray and Laura Robson double up to make mixed final Saturday 4 August 2012 17:07 BST Click to follow The Evening Standard Andy Murray (R) and Laura Robson of Britain in action during their Mixed Doubles Quarterfinal match against Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur of Australia during the London 2012 Olympic Games Tennis competition in Wimbledon, Greater London, Britain, 04 August 2012. EPA Andy Murray and Laura Robson won two matches in one day to reach the final of the Olympics mixed doubles. Murray and Robson brilliantly won their semi-final against Germans Christopher Kas and Sabine Lisicki. Murray was already assured of at least a silver medal in singles ahead of tomorrow's final against Roger Federer. And now he will also have a doubles medal after he and Robson pulled off victory for Great Britain in a match tie-break, going through 6-1 6-7 (9/7) 10-7.

Not everyone would consider two mixed doubles matches in a day to be ideal preparation for a men's singles final against Federer, but Murray has loved the whole Olympic experience and playing in front of the noisy crowd. The British pair began the day by defeating Australian pair Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Stosur 6-3 3-6 10-8 on Centre Court. That meant they were guaranteed a shot at a medal tomorrow, but they wanted at least silver and came out firing on Court One. Lisicki and Kas have both reached Wimbledon semi-finals, the former in singles and the latter in men's doubles, but they lost the first six points and were quickly 3-0 down. Murray had to save two break points in the fifth game but that was a minor blip as the British pair promptly broke the Kas serve for the second time in the match and Robson served out the set. The teenager was more than holding her own in high-quality company and played a big part as the pair broke the Kas serve once more to lead 2-1 in the second set.

Robson conceded her serve for the second time straight away but a third consecutive break followed and this time Murray held to put the home duo two games away from the final. Robson was just starting to wobble a little, and an untimely double fault allowed the Germans to break back for 4-4, but the teenager saved a set point in her next service game to take the set into a tie-break. It swung one way and then the other, with Kas and Lisicki turning a 3-0 deficit into a 6-3 lead only to see three more set points go begging. Robson and Murray saved a fourth, too, but a fifth followed when the Scot missed a volley, slamming his racquet to the turf in frustration, and this time the Germans capitalised. That meant yet another match tie-break for the British pair, their third in successive matches, and they made a decent start, but Kas and Lisicki were matching them point for point. The crucial point came with Lisicki serving at 7-6 behind, a volley into the net giving the British duo a mini-break, and Robson won both her service points to earn them a terrific victory.

Murray said: "There were some nerves there but we played really good stuff, we deserved to win that match, and I'm really happy we did. If it had gone the other way it would have been a really disappointing end to the day." More about: Olympics 2012: Andy Murray and Laura Robson reach mixed doubles finall - Mirror Online Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Andy Murray will play for two gold medals tomorrow after he and Laura Robson brilliantly won their mixed doubles semi-final against Germans Christopher Kas and Sabine Lisicki. Murray was already assured of at least a silver medal in singles ahead of tomorrow's final against Roger Federer. And now he will also have a doubles medal after he and Robson pulled off victory for Great Britain in a match tie-break, going through 6-1 6-7 (9/7) 10-7. Not everyone would consider two mixed doubles matches in a day to be ideal preparation for a men's singles final against Federer, but Murray has loved the whole Olympic experience and playing in front of the noisy crowd.

The British pair began the day by defeating Australian pair Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Stosur 6-3 3-6 10-8 on Centre Court. That meant they were guaranteed a shot at a medal tomorrow, but they wanted at least silver and came out firing on Court One. Lisicki and Kas have both reached Wimbledon semi-finals, the former in singles and the latter in men's doubles, but they lost the first six points and were quickly 3-0 down. Murray had to save two break points in the fifth game but that was a minor blip as the British pair promptly broke the Kas serve for the second time in the match and Robson served out the set. The teenager was more than holding her own in high-quality company and played a big part as the pair broke the Kas serve once more to lead 2-1 in the second set. Patriotic punters: British fans packed the stands at Wimbledon for Murray and Robson's win (Photo: Getty) Robson conceded her serve for the second time straight away but a third consecutive break followed and this time Murray held to put the home duo two games away from the final.

Robson was just starting to wobble a little, and an untimely double fault allowed the Germans to break back for 4-4, but the teenager saved a set point in her next service game to take the set into a tie-break. It swung one way and then the other, with Kas and Lisicki turning a 3-0 deficit into a 6-3 lead only to see three more set points go begging. Robson and Murray saved a fourth, too, but a fifth followed when the Scot missed a volley, slamming his racquet to the turf in frustration, and this time the Germans capitalised. That meant yet another match tie-break for the British pair, their third in successive matches, and they made a decent start, but Kas and Lisicki were matching them point for point. The crucial point came with Lisicki serving at 7-6 behind, a volley into the net giving the British duo a mini-break, and Robson won both her service points to earn them a terrific victory.

Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent Most Read Most Recent Andy Murray wins Olympic gold … and silver | Sport | The Guardian Andy Murray wins Olympic gold … and silver Sunday 5 August 2012 08.52 EDT First published on Monday 3 September 2012 09.37 EDT 6.53pm BST It's goodbye from Wimbledon And that's it for the tennis at this Games, and it's been a rollicking success all-round, it must be said, characterised by a wonderfully free-spirited and raucous atmosphere at the All England Club throughout the week, far more so than is usually the case in the last week of June and first week of July. And, of course, British medal success beyond expectations. Thanks for your company. Bye. 6.49pm BST Mirnyi/Azarenka beat Murray/Robson 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 It's gold for Mirnyi and Azarenka. The British pair must settle for silver.

Murray is broken for 7-6 on the first point after the change, and the Belarusians' lead is stretched to 8-6 as Murray nets a weak return of serve. Robson sends a forehand wide to give their opponents three gold medal points. Murray saves the first with a winning volley after both British players contribute vital shots to a fine rally. And Robson then produces a superb deep serve that Azarenka can only belt up in the air and way out wide. 9-8. But it's not enough Mirnyi follows up Azarenka's serve to secure the gold for the Belarusian favourites. It's well deserved, to be fair: they grew into the game and looked an increasingly ruthless double act as the match went on. But the home crowd can't feel too cheated - Murray and Robson performed with determination and flair to get this far, and this is hardly cause for too much weeping and wailing.

Especially after such an excellent all-round tournament 6.42pm BST Mirnyi/Azarenka 2-6, 6-3 Murray/Robson, 6-6 tiebreak Champions' tiebreak, 6-6: Robson undoes a bit of her previous excellent work with a wide volley out to put the Belarussians 4-3 up again, and then double-faults again! Ouch! Her next serve is better and the point is won when Murray buries Mirnyi's return with a brutal forehand volley to reduce their opponents' lead to 5-4. And Murray pulls it back again with a fierce return that's netted for 5-5. Mirnyi's next serve is returned long by Robson, and Murray's rasping first serve ensures they change ends level once again. This will run and run 6.38pm BST Mirnyi/Azarenka 2-6, 6-3 Murray/Robson, 3-3 tiebreak Tiebreak: And Robson starts with a yip-ish double fault. The crowd has become slightly quieter, but still above-averagely raucous.

Azarenka's fierce volley at the net then elicits a weak return from Murray for 2-0, and another fierce Mirnyi serve makes it three. The Belarusians' serve looks formidable now. Murray responds in kind, though, with a pinpoint ace for 3-1, and then a fine rally sees Robson come out on top forcing the mistake from Mirnyi to make it 3-2, and the slightly naff but endearing chants ratchet up a bit. And Robson wins the break back with a volley that drifts just in onto the line 6.34pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 2-6, 6-3 Murray/Robson One set all. Champions' tiebreak time! Mirnyi serves for the set, and begins with an ace. Azarenka's volley at the net then splits the British pair for 30-0. Robson then sends a loose shot into the net to set up three set points. Murray saves the first with a good low return that Mirnyi can only send into the net, but the set is won with Mirnyi's next, which Robson nets.

6.29pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 2-6, 5-3 Murray/Robson A good first serve from Robson is netted by Minryi, and the British pair then forces a soft error at the net from Mirnyi for 30-0, a similarly dominant point follows. But Azarenka then passes Murray down the line with a glorious shot. But Murray's smash is enough to secure the following point and a good service hold. Robson is certainly serving with a good deal more conviction than earlier in the tournament. 6.26pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka 2-6, 5-2 Murray/Robson* Azarenka serves confidently for 30-0, with returns netted, and then sends another brilliant ace down the centre. A good return from Murray then forces an error form Mirnyi but another emphatic serve is followed up by a ruthless smash at the net from Minryi to wrap up the game. One of those 10-point tiebreak thingies certainly looms now. The Belarussians look on top.

6.23pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 2-6, 4-2 Murray/Robson Emphatic service game from Murray. Azarenka wins the first point off Murray's serve, but the Scot responds with a rasping serve down the middle, and another out wide, both of which can only be tamely netted. A fine volley at the net from Murray makes it 40-15 and is followed by another fine ace. 6.20pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 2-6, 4-1 Murray/Robson Confident service game from Mirnyi, with the loss of only one point, and suddenly the Belarussians look emboldened and in control. 6.17pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 2-6, 3-1 Murray/Robson Hi, Simon's had to clock off now, so I'm in the chair for the closing stages. Robson rams home the advantage with a fantastic forehand winner down the line for 30-0, but hits a back-court forehand long for 40-30.

Murray does likewise with a volley at the net. But Azarenka secures a break and a possible crucial change of momentum. "Team GB" chants go up in renewed intensity. 6.13pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka 2-6, 2-1 Murray/Robson* That was a good game from the Belarusians, Azarenka serving well and Mirnyi totally dominant at the net. They hold to love. "I was wondering, has anyone else ever won two Olympic golds in the same day?" asks Simon from Brazil. Sure – Phelps, a few times, Paavo Nurmi. There's almost certainly more. Updated 6.10pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 2-6, 1-1 Murray/Robson Between games there is some proper chanting and counter-chanting, started by some game and vocal Belarussians and warmly reciprocated by the more numerous Britons. More good serving and another easy hold, from Murray this time.

6.08pm BST Second set: Mirnyi/Azarenka 2-6, 1-0 Murray*/Robson The first action of this set, as with the first, involves Mirnyi slamming down a first serve and poor Laura Robson not really knowing what to do about it. Then things change a bit – Mirnyi continues to serve like a demon, and he doesn't drop a point. 6.04pm BST Great Britain win the first set 6-2! Mirnyi*/Azarenka 2-6 Murray/Robson: Robson's first serve is strong and returned wide by Mirnyi. Robson collects the same ball, produces another strong serve and Azarenka floats her return long. Robson then drops her faithfulness to this wonder-ball and promptly serves long. But Murray gleefully slams away a volley, ruefully slams netwards another volley, and gleefully watches as Mirnyi sends a shot a foot long to end the set.

Updated 6.01pm BST First set: Mirnyi/Azarenka 2-5 Murray/Robson* Azarenka barely lands a first serve all game, with Murray at one stage launching a forehand return so violent that the crowd can't help but whoop and coo, even though it doesn't turn out to be a winner. The winner comes a couple of strokes later, a down-the-line forehand of such unimaginable viciousness that it's a wonder that the line judge can see it land perfectly on the baseline. Those were the highlights. In between, Murray and Robson both slam shots into the net, and Azarenka holds. 5.57pm BST First set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 1-5 Murray/Robson A second-serve ace from Murray gets the game rolling. Two more aces and an unreturnable first serve finish it off. 5.55pm BST First set: Mirnyi/Azarenka 1-4 Murray/Robson* Mirnyi, the best doubles player in the world, puts an easy point-killer volley wide to make it 15-30, and nothing is going right for him.

Matthew Frear meanwhile emails with a link to this report of the player's wedding . If his decision-making on court is only half as bad as his decision-making when wedding-suit-shopping, it's a wonder he ever wins a point. This time Robson and Murray are each guilty of a bit of poor decision-making, and Belarus are on the board. "Team GB! Team GB! Team GB!" roar the crowd. Well, some of them. 5.49pm BST First set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 0-4 Murray/Robson This match is floating by on a cloud of miraculous and entirely unruffled British superiority. Robson's serve is supposed to be Britain's Achilles heel, but she just held with very little hassle even with an unwanted double fault. The last point is the first real stunner of the match, the ball zipping over the net one way and the other before Robson calmly spots a gap and pops the ball into it.

5.46pm BST First set: Mirnyi/Azarenka 0-3 Murray/Robson* If you float a weak serve into Robson's forehand hitting area, she will slam it across court for a winner without a care in the world. Both Mirnyi and Azarenka should now have learned this. A couple of nice volleys later, Murray and Robson are a double break up – and Mirnyi/Azarenka didn't win a point. 5.43pm BST First set: Mirnyi/Azarenka* 0-2 Murray/Robson Blam! Murray serves an ace. Slam! Robson puts away a smash. Flumpf! Mirnyi scrapes a return into the net. Crack! Mirnyi puts away a volley. Wheeeeeeee-plop! Azarenka's lob floats long. I promise not to describe every game that way. 5.40pm BST First set: Mirnyi/Azarenka 0-1 Murray/Robson* Max Mirnyi is 6ft 5in tall. He is a giant.

And he immediately slams down a first serve that Robson does well to get the frame of her racket to. But his second serve is less impressive, and he only gets to 30-30 because Robson fluffs a very presentable volley. He then double faults to give Britain an early break point, but then finally nails another first serve to save it. Another missed first serve later Britain's got another break point, and another missed first serve later they've taken it. Updated Tennis is about to be played And Mirnyi will be the first to serve. Ready? Play. 5.32pm BST Is there another gold medal in this for Britain? Probably not. Mirnyi is a formidable doubles player – ranked No1 in the world – and while Azarenka is only No80 in the doubles rankings at the moment, she's No1 in the singles. They are, in short, a formidable pair. Will Murray be knackered after his efforts earlier this afternoon, or inspired? He'll have to be the latter. 5.24pm BST Players! The two teams are out.

It looks like lots of volunteers have got/taken tickets for this, and they're on their feet to applaud out the British pair. 5.21pm BST Still no sign of any tennis players Or many spectators, either. Lots of noisy dance music, though 5.14pm BST Before the action… Some loud techno music, which presumably explains the empty seats, of which there are very many at the moment. On the very rare occasions that Centre Court "rocks" to some "modern" music, it is very much Sir Clifford Richard who provides the soundtrack. Is that absolutely clear? 5.12pm BST Mixed doubles final coming up The ball boys and the line judges have taken to the court, so action can't be far off. 5.01pm BST Athletes on the underground Have you seen an athlete on the underground? If you do, take a photo and send it to @GdnLondon2012 on ye olde Twitter and make everybody happy. Thank you. Here are some previous contributions , by way of inspiration. 4.43pm BST The mixed doubles final will start at 5.15pm BST Or thereabouts.

So plenty of time for a cup of coffee and a few deep breaths. Updated 4.42pm BST Roger Federer speaks The beaten finalist has spoken to the BBC, and he's predictably gracious, particularly when asked about the key game, the third of the second set which lasted for 20 minutes – "He was already a break up." "He did play very well. He was better, much better than I was. I had a very emotional tournament for the first round on. Maybe I was emotionally drained a little bit, maybe I left a little bit too much on court. Andy played really well, made good shot making decisions and I didn't do that. But still a great day for me. "I think we had the same amount of break points but he converted that many more. I didn't convert any. I just felt I was a bit slow in the corners, took some wrong decisions from time to time. Andy looked like he never doubted himself, he had a clear plan. A few points here and there, things could have been different. I have a medal, that's what I wanted, but I'm happy for Andy.

He's had a tough last few years, at a very high level, he's had a wonderful career already, but he deserved this." 4.37pm BST Inter-final hiatus As Murray poses with a Union flag draped across his shoulders and David Bowie's Heroes plays yet again, an irredeemable grump (or Orville Lloyd, to give him his full name) writes: Hello Simon, I am sure in the United Kingdom it is a big deal Andy Murray defeated Roger Federer to win the gold medal at the Olympics. No offense to Murray fans, but this match means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Murray still needs to prove he can win a grand slam in singles and he has failed to achieve that breakthrough. Juan Martin Del Potro is younger than Murray and he already has a grand slam singles title. Murray got lucky today Roger is older now he's going to have more bad days than good. Murray still has a 0-3 record against Federer in the grand slam finals. Also, Federer is turning thirty one next week and he clearly was exhausted from his four hour match will Juan Martin Del Potro.

Murray definitely has made a step in the right direction but an Olympic gold medal still doesn't change the fact he is 0-4 in grand slam finals. Maybe, this Olympic victory will give Murray the confidence to believe he can beat the top players in the slams? Only time will tell. Yeah, sure, he still hasn't won a Grand Slam, and he will keep on never having won a Grand Slam until he wins a Grand Slam. But he's won Olympic gold, and is therefore cool. Deeply cool. And if he never wins a Grand Slam, he will still have been an excellent tennis player and he will have earned my respect. 4.31pm BST Weep or grin? That's always the question posed of the person on the top step of the podium. Murray's a grinner. 4.30pm BST Andy Murray is wearing a gold medal And carrying some flowers. Now for the national anthem. 4.25pm BST I'm just going to keep on blogging Because Murray is due to come straight back on court in a few minutes for the mixed doubles final, and if he isn't going to stop then neither am I*.

* Unless it goes on for ages, in which case I might have to go home. 4.21pm BST Britain's latest gold medallist speaks Andy Murray has been speaking to Sue Barker after completing his 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 arse-whupping of Roger Federer. It's definitely easier winning in the final [than losing in heartbreak]. I played a good match today. it was quite tough conditions, very windy, but I did well. It's No1 for me, biggest win of my life. This week's been incredible for me. The atmosphere, the support's been amazing. I watched the athletics last night, it was amazing. Just amazing. The way Mo Farah won – I do 400m repetitions in my training, and when I'm completely fresh I can run it in 57 seconds. His last lap after running 9,600m was 53 sec. Just unbelievable. I didn't expect this at the start of the week. I was a little bit tired after Wimbledon, but I felt so fresh on the court today. I didn't feel nervous at all, apart from at the beginning of the match.

I've had a lot of tough losses in my career, and this was the best way to come back from the Wimbledon final. I'll never forget it. 4.16pm BST Murray does a Pat Cash! He's up to the players' box, and there's a hug for his girlfriend, an embrace for his coaches, one each for his dad and mum and a high five for Laura Robson, with whom he might win a second gold medal in a couple of hours. 4.15pm BST Andy Murray wins gold for Great Britain! Murray's in trouble in the first point but from wide and deep he hits the ball onto Federer's toe, and the Swiss can't get out of the way in time to control his shot, which goes into the net. He challenges, but the ball was well in. He trudges across the court, staring at his shoelaces. But he's not a beaten man yet, and wins the next point with a blistering forehand return. Murray, though, produces two of his best serves of the match to bring up two match points.

He serves an ace down the line to complete the most astonishing and emphatic of victories against the greatest player ever to lace shoe and swing racket at this historic venue. Incredible! 4.10pm BST Third set: Murray* 6-2, 6-1, 5-4 Federer Federer eases through his service game, holding to love courtesy of a couple of aces. The question is: will he have another? 4.09pm BST Third set: Murray 6-2, 6-1, 5-3 Federer* Murray is playing splendidly, but Federer has spent much of the match playing like the world No82 – able to produce occasional flashes of excellence, but basically a bit mediocre. Anyway, the Scot races to 40-0 and then produces a consumate grass court point – deep, wide serve and killer volley – to take the game. He has yet to drop a point on his serve this set. "Federer is obviously a wonderful player and graceful champion, but I have a big problem with his corporate image, tripled by his head-to-toe Nikeness in this final," writes Chris B.

"Even his smile seems to me to have become a twisted 'tick' of evil corporate gluttony. Great, great player, but a sad advertisement for our times." Must say I've never seen him like that. All the top players have kit sponsors, and can hardly be blamed for it. He has always carried himself with class. 4.05pm BST Third set: Murray* 6-2, 6-1, 4-3 Federer Federer slams down a fine first serve; Murray does well to get it back into play, but the ball bounces limply in mid-court; Federer opens up his body, and thrashes the ball into the net. He is not at his game today. Moments later Murray hits another vicious, deep forehand and Federer sends his reply wide to set up two break points. "Andy! Andy! Andy" screams the crowd. Murray loses them both, Federer produces a stunning drop shot, and then gets the best of a lovely rally when Murray, sprinting across court, sends a backhand into the net. Murray could have all but wrapped it up there.

4.00pm BST Third set: Murray 6-2, 6-1, 4-2 Federer* Murray's profited from a few net cords in this match. This time Federer gets one, and the ball loops up to present his opponent with an easy winner. That's the way this game is going, but Murray is not only getting the breaks, he is playing extraordinarily well. He is not wasting any opportunities, and he is viciously punishing any errors. He has yet to drop a point on serve this set. 3.56pm BST Third set: Murray* 6-2, 6-1, 3-2 Federer The first point of the game is won by Murray after Federer nets a forehand in a manner that can only be described as lazy. Where was the footwork? A 10-year-old would get a rollicking off their coach for that. When Murray heaves a forehand into the corner of the court moments later to force an error, and then presents Federer with a testy half-volley which goes long, the extent of his punishment in this match starts to become clear.

The next point, the best rally of this set, is also won by Murray and the Briton is a break up! 3.53pm BST Third set: Murray 6-2, 6-1, 2-2 Federer* There's been a massive reduction in intensity, and suddenly they're trading powder-puff jabs like in the opening bout of a featherweight title fight. Murray holds to love, the fourth rapid and one-sided game of this third set. 3.49pm BST Third set: Murray* 6-2, 6-1, 1-2 Federer Federer is looking more assertive, but as I type that he streaks to the net and scoops an easyish volley long. Still, a couple of service winners are enough to take the game. 3.47pm BST Third set: Murray 6-2, 6-1, 1-1 Federer* Murray wins his own service game to love. I keep looking at the current score and shaking my head in wonder and amazement, like it's a numerical representation of a Greg Rutherford long jump.

3.45pm BST Third set: Murray* 6-2, 6-1, 0-1 Federer It's a new set, and a new dawn. This new dawn breaks with Federer playing as if the last two sets never happened, and winning his service game to love. On the BBC, we are warned of a "very heavy storm" approaching. We're then informed that this storm has currently reached "the Coventry/Nuneaton area". And that is relevant to Wimbledon how? 3.41pm BST Andy Murray wins the second set 6-1 to take a two-set lead The inevitable (or am I too pessimistic?) lapse in concentration arrives, and within moments Murray is 0-30 and preparing a second serve. But Federer nets a straightforward forehand, and then gives Murray a straightforward passing chance which is not wasted, and the set is soon wrapped up. Over on No1 Court Juan Martín Del Potro has beaten Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4 to secure bronze for Argentina, his nation's first of these Games.

3.35pm BST Second set: Murray* 6-2, 5-1 Federer That is Federer's first game in 11! With one of Scotland's great sportsmen truly excelling, Edinburgh has gone Olympics-mad, as you can see. Michael MacLeod (@MichaelMacLeod1) 3.32pm BST Second set: Murray 6-2, 5-0 Federer* Heavens. Another super game, which I largely spent compiling a response for Liza Miller, who emailed to ask whether results at the Olympics contribute towards the tennis rankings. The answer is that yes, for the first time, they do. The winner of this match will get 750 points, and the loser 450. At Wimbledon, by way of comparison, the winner gets 2,000 points and the beaten finalist 1,200. So this sits midway between a Masters Series event (where the winner gets 1,000 points) and an ATP 500 event (where the winner gets, yes, 500 points).

Serena Williams will get 685 points for her gold medal, while silver was worth 470 to Maria Sharapova. At Real Wimbledon the winner gets 2,000 points and the runner-up 1,400. 3.27pm BST Second set: Murray* 6-2, 4-0 Federer Murray continues to hit some fabulous strokes, and Federer doesn't have any answers. Murray brings up break point thanks (in part) to a defensive lob that flies way up into the air and lands precisely on the baseline. "Andy! Andy! Andy!" screams the crowd. They're on first name terms now. Federer hits the ball long to create another, and then double faults. That's Murray's eighth game on the spin! 3.20pm BST Second set: Murray 6-2, 3-0 Federer* Murray gets excited and double faults, and Federer destroys the second point, won with a brilliant forehand that could not have landed more perfectly in the corner had he walked down the court and placed it there himself. Though Murray wins the next point with a violently kicking second serve, an unforced error gives Federer two break points.

The first is saved with another good second serve and a powerful backhand winner, and the second with an unlikely reflex volley when left hopelessly exposed at the net. Federer wins and Murray duly saves another four break points, and the game gradually increases in importance. At yet another deuce, Federer slides the ball into the corner once again and dances his way to the net; the ball is already past Murray when he reaches behind himself and flicks it perfectly down the line. An astonishing shot, and he wins the next point to hold. That was a long and dramatic game, and a massive hold for Murray. Updated 3.03pm BST Second set: Murray* 6-2, 2-0 Federer Federer is playing some way below par here. A couple of fathoms, I'd say. And Murray isn't just playing well, he's being repeatedly flukey – the third point sees another net chord drop the right way for the Briton and set up three break points. Murray wins the first – a brilliant point that rolls all around Centre Court – courtesy of a second net chord of the game. That's Murray's sixth game on the spin!

3.00pm BST Second set: Murray 6-2, 1-0 Federer* Mexican waves ripple around Centre Court as the players take a breather between sets. It's been good to see Wimbledon remove its tie and open its top button, and there's more whooping and hollering as Murray easily holds serve. Incidentally, if you are watching this in the UK and don't want coverage to be interrupted again for an interview with a sailor, watch it online here . 2.55pm BST Andy Murray wins the first set 6-2 Murray emphasises the fact that things are going his way by winning a point with a net chord that drops the ball dead. The next point Federer wins twice, but Murray rescues the first lost cause with a lob that drops on the line, and Federer then sends his simple put-away volley into the net. That's 30-15, and though Federer wins the next point his following serve is slammed back into the corner by Murray for another break point, and a backhand passing shot down the line wins it. 2.51pm BST First set: Murray 5-2 Federer* He is into this, Murray.

Federer slices a backhand across court; Murray opens up his body as if intent on returning the ball whence it came, only to swivel and the last moment and send it flying down the line. A lovely shot. Later, at 30-30, there's an excellent crosscourt forehand that dips past a leaden-footed Federer. In between and afterwards there are some unforced errors, but from deuce Murray slams down two aces, and he's in control. 2.46pm BST First set: Murray* 4-2 Federer The first point I miss because the BBC is showing us Ben Ainslie pumping his feet. The second point is won by Murray with a vicious on-the-run down-the-line forehand, and that's 30-0. The following point Federer comes to the net but a half-volley flicked up from his ankles just presents Murray with an opportunity to pass. He thwacks the ball into the net, then overhits his return and it's 30-30. Murray clings on to get to deuce and then works another break point.

Once again he's given an opportunity to pass, and once again he finds the net. He's not the only one who can hit balls into nets, though, and one such error from Federer brings another break point. "Murray! Murray! Murray!" scream the crowd, or at least some of it, and a few shots of excellent venom and depth are enough to draw another error from Federer, and Murray breaks! 2.37pm BST First set: Murray 3-2 Federer* As of the end of the fourth game Federer's first serve percentage was 80%, and Murray's was 54%. That stat is so often a barometer of the Scot's state of mind, and it needs improving. Federer gets to the ever-dangerous 15-30 here, but from there Murray gets more assertive and takes the next three points. In other news, Ben Ainslie has won gold for Britain in the Finn class sailing. 2.32pm BST First set: Murray* 2-2 Federer When Federer finally does have to play a groundstroke in one of his service games, it's a useless one.

Mind you, he's 30-0 up by then, but Murray follows that up with a good, deep approach shot and a straightforward volley, and then an unforced error brings break point. Blam! Ace. Flup! Murray finds the net. Wham! Unreturnable serve. 2.27pm BST First set: Murray 2-1 Federer* Murray isn't the only one who can hit gorgeous backhands down the line, and Federer opens the game with an absolute beauty. But in the following point there's too much finesse – a drop shot from Federer, a reciprocal drop shot from Murray, a lob from Federer that was pretty hopelessly short, and a winner from Murray. Murray takes control of the game from there. 2.24pm BST First set: Murray* 1-1 Federer That was quick. Federer didn't even have to hit a groundstroke as he won that game to love. 2.23pm BST First set: Murray 1-0 Federer* A dodgy start from Murray and Federer races to 15-40.

On the first break point Federer got a fortuitous net chord, forcing Murray to race towards the net, but the Swiss netted the passing shot. A fine shot right into the corner forced a further error from Federer to take the game to deuce. An excellent backhand passing shot and a service winner later, it's 1-0. By the way, I should point out that this match is the best of five sets. And that the asterisk indicates who will serve next. 2.17pm BST Huge cheers from a ludicrously partisan crowd as Andy Murray prepares to serve. 2.07pm BST They're opening the roof! Good news for Andy Murray: the skies have cleared, the clouds have scattered and the Centre Court roof is being opened! Team GB (@TeamGB) Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Centre Court, Wimbledon, final. Again. Less than a month ago the Briton lost 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to Federer in the final of Normal Wimbledon, a match which the Scot started rather well only to fall away. You'll remember that Federer became particularly imperious once the roof was closed and the match effectively moved indoors.

Today it has barely stopped raining in London, and the roof closed hours ago. Advantage Federer. The big difference between Olympic Wimbledon and Normal Wimbledon is that a month ago Murray's defeat left him with nothing but tears, regrets and a large cheque. Defeat today would leave him with a silver medal, which is a considerably more glorious consolation prize. And later today he'll team up with Laura Robson in the final of the mixed doubles, against Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi of Belarus. The prize for beating that pair is a gold medal – exactly the same as the prize for beating the greatest player in the history of tennis on his favourite surface with the added disadvantage of playing the match indoors. If he's only got a limited amount of energy, which match would he be best advised to use it in? Whatever, this morning Andy Murray woke up with no Grand Slam titles and no Olympic medals. He will go to sleep tonight with two Olympic medals. This will be the most glorious day of his career so far, even if he doesn't win a point. 1.52pm BST Simon will be here shortly.

In the meantime, here's an excerpt from Kevin Mitchell's preview : It's taken a while, but Andy Murray , through tears and smiles, ups and downs, despite, rather than because of, the judgment of flinty critics dancing to an agenda driven by tired prejudices and misunderstandings, has just about clinched the love of the British public. The mutual affection has grown since he wept openly on Centre Court at Wimbledon after losing with grit and style to Roger Federer in the men's final. How typically British is that? Updated Andy Murray - Tennis - News, Olympic Results and History Born Glasgow BIOGRAPHY Andy Murray’s Olympic final victory over Roger Federer proved to be a watershed moment for the Scot. Earlier in the year Andy, who grew up in Dunblane, had lost to Federer at the final of Wimbledon but got his revenge on the Swiss before going on to claim US Open glory later in the year. Andy followed his first Grand Slam title with another the following summer where he became the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.

He also appeared at Beijing 2008 in both the singles and doubles while London 2012 saw him not only pick up a gold in the singles but also silver in the mixed doubles alongside Laura Robson. Andy Murray Beats Federer for Olympic Tennis Gold - The New York Times The New York Times Olympics |At Site of Heartbreak, Murray Overwhelms Federer for Gold Search Continue reading the main story Photo Andy Murray jumped for joy after defeating Roger Federer in straight sets to win the gold in men's singles on Sunday. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times WIMBLEDON, England — Andy Murray has yet to win Wimbledon, but he has now won a big one at Wimbledon. Riding the wave of British Olympic success this weekend and his own formidable counterpunching talents, Murray was unstoppable against Roger Federer in the gold medal match in men’s singles on Sunday. He shrugged off two break points in the opening game and gathered strength and precision from there to win, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

The victory came on the same patch of grass (and dirt) where Federer has won a record seven men’s Wimbledon singles titles, and at the same court where Federer reduced Murray to tears last month when he rallied to defeat him in four sets in the Wimbledon final. Murray has struggled to recover from disappointments like that in the past, but he bounced back quickly this time, sweeping through six matches in the Olympic tournament with the loss of only one set and reeling off nine straight games against Federer in one particularly lopsided stretch Sunday and finishing with two consecutive aces. Continue reading the main story Murray, a 25-year-old with a deadpan sense of humor and a gravelly voice, has not won a Grand Slam singles title, losing all four of his major finals. But winning the Olympic gold medal in his own country surely qualifies as a major victory. Advertisement Continue reading the main story He certainly greeted it with major emotion: leaping high, covering his eyes with his hands and eventually climbing into the stands to embrace his support team, including his mother, Judy, a British Fed Cup captain who taught him the basics of the game in Dunblane, Scotland.

“I’ve won an Olympic gold medal; I haven’t won a Grand Slam,” Murray said. “I know how this feels, and it feels great. I’ve lost some tough matches in some tough finals, and that’s hurt me a lot. I think tennis in the Olympics is getting better each time it’s played because all the top players are playing now. For me, it’s the biggest win of my life.” Murray has long been relegated to fourth in the pecking order in this golden age of men’s tennis, behind Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Murray will still be ranked fourth on Monday, but he certainly knows how to beat all three of those ahead of him, including Federer. Murray leads their head-to-head series, 9-8, but until Sunday he had never defeated Federer in a best-of-five-set match. Murray’s performance early in last month’s Wimbledon final augured well. Returning and moving beautifully, he dominated the early baseline exchanges. But he lost command late in the second set as Federer lifted and then began to soar in earnest once the roof over Centre Court had been closed because of rain. There would be no extra gear for Federer on Sunday.

Murray fought off all nine break points he faced and consistently forced the issue with his forehand. After some early showers, sunshine returned to southwest London in time for the Olympic final. The roof, which had been closed for the women’s doubles final won by Venus and Serena Williams, was open for the men’s final, which certainly helped Murray’s state of mind. It may also have helped Murray, an intelligent and combustible player, that the Olympic tournament reshuffled the deck and the psychological obstacles. Despite the familiar setting, this was not a Grand Slam final, and in an Olympic context, the focus was less on the individual and more on the British flag and team. Photo Andy Murray, above, beat Roger Federer in a best-of-five-set match for the first time. Still, Federer, playing in his fourth Games, won his first singles medal. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times “When Wimbledon is going on, the country stops, but when the Olympics are going on, tennis is just part of it,” said Paul Annacone, Federer’s co-coach.

“So it’s a different level of expectation, a different level of pressure in my opinion.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Murray has been an Olympics spectator as well as an Olympian here, channel surfing between matches and at home in nearby Surrey. He marveled at the British runner Mo Farah’s victory in the 10,000 meters, one of six British gold medals Saturday. “The way Mo Farah won, I mean, I do 400-meter repetitions in my training, and when I’m completely fresh, I can run it in 57 seconds, and his last lap after 9,600 meters was 53 seconds,” Murray said. “It’s just unbelievable fitness, and it gave me a boost.” Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy Murray said he took particular inspiration from the gold medal won in double sculls by Katherine Grainger, a Scottish rower who had settled for silver in three previous Olympic appearances. “To keep coming back is something that not many can do,” Murray told British reporters.

“I think she will tell you that she’s a lot happier right now than someone who won gold at their first attempt. Obviously, you want it to happen as soon as possible, but in sport, when it’s taken a long time to get that first breakthrough, it’s more special.” Sunday, then, must have been special indeed for Murray and bittersweet for Federer, who finally won an Olympic singles medal in his fourth Olympics but had to settle for silver. “I think this is as good as I could do during these championships; Andy was much better than I was today in many aspects of the game,” Federer said. “For me, it’s been a great month. I won Wimbledon, became world No. 1 again, and I got silver. Don’t feel too bad for me.” Murray came close to winning a second gold medal later Sunday but was defeated, with Laura Robson, in the mixed doubles final, 2-6, 6-3, and then 10-8 in the deciding super-tiebreak by Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi of Belarus. Lisa Raymond and Mike Bryan of the United States took the bronze.

Juan Martín del Potro upset Djokovic to take the bronze in men’s singles after his emotional loss to Federer on Friday in a semifinal that stretched to 19-17 in the final set. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Federer shed tears of joy and relief after that match, and in retrospect, that was his Olympic peak emotionally and physically. On Sunday, Federer’s best chance came in the third game of the second set, when he had six break points on Murray’s serve and failed to convert any of them. “Ultimately, Andy just did a great job of putting a chokehold on the match early,” Annacone said. The surprise was that, despite all the disappointments past, Murray did not stop squeezing, and it will be intriguing to see what that means in big matches to come, at the United States Open and beyond. “I spoke to Ivan Lendl after the Wimbledon final, and he said to me, ‘You’ll never play under more pressure than you did in the Wimbledon final,’ ” Murray said, referring to his new coach this season. “I’m able to deal with the situations better now, and I did.

I felt much more comfortable on the court.” 2012 LONDON A version of this article appears in print on August 6, 2012, on Page D1 of the New York edition with the headline: At Site of Heartbreak, Murray Overwhelms Federer for Gold. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Can Laura Robson Rise to the Top of the WTA? | Bleacher Report Can Laura Robson Rise to the Top of the WTA? Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Elsa/Getty Images Laura Robson at the US Open 2.1K 12 Comments Laura Robson first caught the attention of the tennis world at the London Olympics when she partnered Andy Murray to win a silver medal in the mixed doubles. She is now quickly rising within the ranks of women’s tennis after proving herself capable of facing top players on her own. Robson made a splash at the US Open by reaching the round of 16 and claiming the scalps of Kim Clijsters and Li Na along the way. She recently appeared in her first WTF final at the Guangzhou Open.

Robson succumbed to Su-Wei Hsieh, but put in a gutsy performance, battling back to win the second set by saving five match points. This finish pushed Robson's ranking up to 57, making her the youngest player in the top 100. At one time it was more common for players to burst on to the scene early. However, the last teenager to win a grand slam was when Maria Sharapova , won Wimbledon in 2004. Now that the game is dominated by big-hitting baseliners, it favors more mature players. Grand-slam winners are more likely to be closer to 30 than 20. Robson met Sharapova earlier this year in the second round of the Olympic singles. Robson put up a good fight, and although Sharapova won the match, Robson gave the No. 2 ranked player a scare by taking the first set to a tiebreak. A few weeks later at the US Open Robson made her real breakthrough. Robson stunned Kim Clijsters at Arthur Ashe Stadium, defeating her in two sets (7-6 and 7-6) in what was the Belgian’s final match before retiring for the second time.

Laura's clean striking and precision hitting put the three-time champion on the defensive and kept her there. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Andy Murray and Laura Robson Share a Moment at the London Olympic Games before collecting their medals Next up was Li Na, who Robson put away in three sets, 6-4, 6-7 and 6-2. Na attributed her loss in part to her opponent’s huge first serve. Robson exited the tournament when she lost to Sam Stosur in the next round. At the US Open, Robson had beaten two of the three grand-slam champions she faced—a great result for the 18-year-old. She has almost reached her present goal of breaking into the top 50 and looks capable of going much further. With her aggressive game, Robson hits the ball deep and accurately, in addition to being a good volleyer. Her quickness moving around the court is also improving and she is getting to more balls and extending rallies. With a new coach on board, Zeljko Krajan, who formerly coached Dinara Safina, Robson is working to capitalize on her talent and develop ways to strengthen her game.

She has already shown that she can beat top players and is comfortable playing in the big arenas. She very well may be spending a lot more time in them. Her next tournament is the China Open in Beijing, which begins on September 28.

Question: Who partnered Andy Murray to win the 2012 Olympic tennis mixed doubles silver medal?
Answer: Laura Robson