The world's greatest tennis duo, the Bryan brothers, added the only missing piece to their impressive resume by winning a long-fancied first Olympic gold medal. Bob and Mike upgraded the bronze they won in Beijing in 2008, holding off to a powerful French assault In their last two matches. After defeating Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet in the semis, the Americans overcame their compatriots, Michel Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-4,7-6 in the gold medal match.
"This is the biggest win of our career right here. It's unbelievable," said Bob Bryan. “To play on Centre Court at Wimbledon and win the gold medal is a dream come true. We could stop tomorrow and we got a big smile on our face for the rest of our lives," completed Mike. The twins dedicated the victory to their parents, Wayne and Kathy. "This one is dedicated to you guys. We love you. Mum, thanks for all the hard lessons every day for two hours. Dad, you ran the best clinics."
The beaten finalists did not dwell too much on their misfortune, both Llodra and Tsonga stating they are very proud of their achievement. "It was our dream for us to win one medal,” said Llodra. “It's second place but it's huge. Even if we lost today it's a big moment." And although Tsonga admitted he is a bit disappointed, he too was utterly happy with his achievement: "Of course we are disappointed about this final, but anyway it's something really good to get this medal. It's really something big and we will never forget this moment."
Earlier in the day, Benneteau and Gasquet beat Spaniards David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez 7-6,6-2 to claim the bronze medal, ensuring a historic performance for France, who had both teams featured on the Olympic podium.
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| The Bryan brothers held off to a strong French assault, beating bronze medalists Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet in the semis, before disposing of Michel Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to claim the gold medal. |
photos: GETTY IMAGES
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