Murray on course for Rio gold

Defending champion Andy Murray reached the quarter-finals of the men's Olympic tennis tournament with a three-set victory over Italian Fabio Fognini.

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Rio De Janeiro - Defending champion Andy Murray survived a scare to reach the quarter-finals of the men's Olympic tennis tournament with a three-set victory over Italian Fabio Fognini on Thursday.

Murray won 6-1 2-6 6-3 after rallying back from a 3-0 third-set deficit against Fognini, who won eight straight games before the Briton regained control of the encounter.

Spain's Rafa Nadal also booked his spot in the last eight with a 7-6(5) 6-3 win over Frenchman Gilles Simon.

The Olympic tennis tournament has been marked by some major upsets in the opening rounds and both Murray and Nadal were tested on Thursday, in gusty conditions after rain delays had cancelled play on Wednesday.

Murray is favourite to clinch a second straight gold medal following the first-round exit of world number one Novak Djokovic to Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro. – Reuters