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Rio Olympics 2016, Tennis: Sania Mirza/Rohan Bopanna vs Andy Murray/Heather Watson

By Sportskeeda Desk | Last ModifiedAug 12, 2016 22:17 GMT

Sania Mirza / Rohan Bopanna def. Andy Murray / Heather Watson 6-4, 6-4.

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22:17 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

We'll be back with our live coverage of the semifinals tomorrow. For now, we'll say goodbye, and good night!

22:17 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

So an excellent day for the Indian team and the Indian fans, who finally have something to cheer for after 7 fruitless days. Sania and Bopanna could well win the first medal for India at the Rio Olympics!

22:16 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Sania and Bopanna will play their semifinal tomorrow, and the match will likely be scheduled for around 12 a.m. IST. If the Indians fail to win that match, they will still have a chance to win a bronze medal, by competing in the 3rd-place playoff.

22:15 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Sania and Bopanna will face the winners of the match between Venus Williams / Rajeev Ram and Fabio Fognini / Roberta Vinci, that is scheduled to take place later today. It will be interesting to see a battle between Venus and Sania on this slow-ish court, with neither player getting a lot of free points off their groundstrokes.

22:13 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Murray was clearly not at his best, and Watson struggled to handle the pace of Sania's forehand and Bopanna's serve, but the Indians were totally on their game - and would probably have defeated most opponents on this day.

22:12 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Sania and Bopanna have defeated Murray and Watson 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the Olympics mixed doubles semifinals. What a fantastic performance from them!

22:11 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Yes they can! Bopanna comes dangerously close to the line with an overhead smash but Hawk-eye shows it was in!

22:10 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

But now Bopanna comes up with a big serve, and they've got a third match point. CAn they take this one?

22:10 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Sania misses a backhand volley, and both the match points have evaporated! Signs of nerves here from the Indian, and we're at deuce.

22:10 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Watson saves the first match point with an easy crosscourt putaway, but Bopanna now has another chance to finish this match. 40-30.

22:09 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

An absolutely fantastic forehand volley by Bopanna elicits an error from Watson, and the Indians have 2 match points!

22:08 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Another ace! The Indians are now 2 points away from the semis.

22:08 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

And he follows it up with a double fault. 15-15.

22:08 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

An ace to start the game! 15-0.

22:07 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

The Indian team, however, is firmly in the driver's seat. Bopanna will come out and serve for the match after the break, and you've got to say he'd be favoured to get the job done.

22:07 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Where has that Murray been? An absolutely gorgeous drop volley off his shoelaces is too good for Bopanna, and he holds serve to keep the Brits within touching distance. 

22:06 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

A big serve by Murray brings up 3 game points for the Brits.

22:06 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Bopanna went for a flamboyant-looking swing volley, but didn't quite get his feet up to the ball. 30-0 now.

22:05 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Sania misses yet another return, and it's 15-0 to the Brits.

22:05 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Murray serving to stay in the match now.

22:05 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

And another unreturned serve gives the Indians a 5-3 lead! They are just one game away from a semifinal spot now.

22:04 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Got a little carried away there? Sania double faults to make it 40-15.

22:04 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

And now it's an ace to bring up 3 game points for the Indians.

22:04 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Sania wins two straight points off her serve, and it's 30-0 now. Sania hasn't faced a break point today, just like yesterday - that's quite the stunning statistic!

22:03 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

It has to be said that Watson was allowed to escape with a hold there. She is not the biggest server in the world, and yet Sania and Bopanna combined to miss three routine returns. They would be praying that those misses don't come back to haunt them.

22:02 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Bopanna misses another return, and Watson holds for 3-4. Will the Indians end up ruing the missed opportunity to go up a double break? 

22:01 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Watson held her own magnificently on that point, and finishes it off with a clever backhand that goes past Bopanna. Game point for the Brits now at 40-30!

22:00 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Now it's Bopanna's turn to go for too much on the return, and he nets the forehand! 30-30.

22:00 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

But Sania goes for too much on the return, and it's 15-30.

21:59 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

India lead 4-2 in the second set. What a forehand from Sania Mirza. It's her signature move and it's Heather Watson whose serve is getting utterly butchered today.

21:59 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Watson under tremendous pressure.

21:59 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Now Watson misses a routine crosscourt backhand, and it's 0-30 to the Indians. They can smell the win here.

21:59 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

And Sania absolutely hammers yet another crosscourt forehand, to which Watson has no reply. 0-15.

21:58 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Huge service game for Watson now. She absolutely needs to hold if Britain are to have any chance of winning this match.

21:58 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

"That ball was ON THE LINE! You cannot be serious!"

21:58 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

And Bopanna finishes off with an excellent overhead, to make it 4-2 to the Indians.

21:57 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Three Wimbledon winners on court here and one can't help but recall the words of another Wimbledon champion. A famous, famous one.

21:57 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Murray getting into an animated conversation with the umpire now, and it seems the point has been awarded to the Indians.

21:57 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Brilliant stuff today from the Indians. Hawkeye is confused...

21:57 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Bopanna challenges the out call on his serve, and the replay shows it's on the line, but strangely, the reading on the screen said 'Out'! Is Hawkeye drunk?

21:55 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Sania and Bopanna are in full flow now, and all they need is three holds of serve to get into the semifinals. Bopanna takes them some way there with two great serves, making it 30-0 for the Indians.

21:54 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

And now Bopanna unloads on the forehand, giving the Indians the break! The finish line is in sight now.

21:53 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Murray needs a big first serve.

21:53 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

And a cracking forehand return from Sania brings up break point for the Indians!

21:53 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

WTA Newsflash: Angelique Kerber has beat Madison Keys 6-3, 7-5 to book her spot in the finals of the women's singles! She'll face off against Puerto Rico's Monica Puig, who upset Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova in the first women's semifinal of the night.

21:53 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Watson stones a volley to make it 30-30. Dangerous times for the Brits.

21:52 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Murray is looking distinctly off-colour, but he's certainly trying his best to stay in this match.

21:52 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Bopanna went for the spectacular crosscourt backhand return, but he couldn't clear the net. 15-15 now.

21:51 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

Was that an unforced error we saw? Off the racquet of Andy Murray? He's not been the characteristically speedy Murray we see, and he nets a shot off Mirza.

21:51 (GMT)12 AUG 2016

But he misses a routine backhand in the net, and the Indians are once again level at 2-2 in this second set.

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