Rafael Nadal only needed two hours and twenty-two minutes to complete a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 victory against Chile's Fernando González to win Spain's first ever Olympic tennis gold medal, and eleventh overall.

The new world number one had never beaten González in three previous hard court encounters, and looks in ominous form ahead of the US Open later this month.

It will be some consolation for González that this is Chile's first medal of the Games, and their fourth ever in tennis.

It is also an improvement on the bronze medal he won in Athens four years ago.

Silver for Spanish pair
By: thinkSPAIN
Sunday, August 17, 2008

Following their success in Sydney eight years ago, Venus and Serena Williams have won their second Olympic title with a comprehensive 6-2, 6-0 victory against Spanish pair, Virginia Ruano and Anabel Medina (second photo, right to left).

It is the second time Ruano (34) has finished runner-up in an Olympic final and represents a tenth tennis medal for Spain.

On court now, Rafael Nadal, who faces Chile's Fernando González in the men's final.

Nadal one win from Olympic gold
By: thinkSPAIN
Saturday, August 16, 2008

Rafael Nadal is guaranteed a silver medal at least having made it through to the Olympic final by beating third seed Serb, Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

For gold, the new world number one will have to overcome Chile's Fernando González, who saw off America's James Blake 4-6, 7-5, 11-9.

After last night's semi-final the 22-year-old Mallorca native spoke at length about his Olympic experiences so far: "It's been emotional," he said.

"I arrived at the Games not feeling particularly confident, and it's been a very hard week full of emotions. It's taken a lot out of me to get to this point. He (Djokovic) really went for it in the second set, and I couldn't do a thing. Luckily for me, he lost concentration right at the end," continued the young Spaniard with tears in his eyes by this stage of his post-match interview.

"I can only thank all the Spanish athletes in the Village. I'm having a great time. I was very tired when I got here because I'd never been away from home for so long before, but everything's much simpler when you've got your team-mates all around you. The way I'm made, I'm much more of a team than an individual player. When I was little, I always used to enjoy watching team games. What I feel when I play for my country, here or in the Davis Cup, is completely different to how I feel when I play for myself, although I'm always representing Spain," the recently-crowned Wimbledon champion went on to say.

There was further Spanish success in the women's doubles where Anabel Medina and Virginia Ruana are through to the semi-finals after beating American pair, Lindsay Davenport and Liezel Huber 5-7, 7-6, 8-6.

They next face either first seed Russians, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina, or Chinese eighth seeds, Zi Yan and Jie Zheng.

Nadal beats Melzer to set up Djokovic semi
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, August 15, 2008

Owing to yesterday's storms, Rafael Nadal had to wait until after midnight last night to complete his quarter final match against Austria's Jurgen Melzer.

After taking the first set to love, Nadal conceded an early break in the second, but recovered for an eventual 6-0, 6-4 win to set up a crunch semi-final against third seed Novak Djokovic, who dropped a set on his way to a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory against France's Gael Monfils.

The major upset of the round came in the other half of the draw, where soon-to-be world number two, Roger Federer, lost in straight sets to James Blake (6-4, 7-6).

The American world number seven next faces reigning Olympic bronze medallist, Fernando Gonzalez, who booked his passage by beating France's Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-4.

In the women's doubles competition, Spain's only representatives Virginia Ruano and Anabel Medina are through to the second round after coming from behind to beat Australia's Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. They next face Lindsay Davenport and Liezel Huber from the USA.

Nadal through to Beijing quarters
By: thinkSPAIN
Wednesday, August 13, 2008

In a match lasting barely an hour and a half earlier today, Rafael Nadal beat Russia's Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the Olympic finals.

There he will be up against Austria's Jurgen Melzer, who beat the man who dumped out Andy Murray, Taiwanese outsider Yen-Hsun Lu, 6-2, 6-4.

Elsewhere, Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic booked his quarter final berth with a similarly uncomplicated, straight-sets victory against Russia's Mikail Youzhny.

Nadal strolls past Hewitt
By: thinkSPAIN
Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Rafael Nadal beat Australia's Lleyton Hewitt for the first time ever on hard courts yesterday.

Displaying the kind of form that will see him elevated to the top of the ATP world rankings next week, the young Mallorcan put last Monday's shaky performance against Italian outsider Potito Starace behind him with a crushing 6-1, 6-2 victory that puts him into the last sixteen.

Next up, Russia's Igor Andreev.

Elsewhere, there were also straightforward victories for the two other main medal contenders, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who beat El Salvador's Rafael Arevalo and Germany's Rainer Schuettler, respectively.

No Spanish women made it through to the second round.