Defending champion Andy Murray battled through a second successive three-setter to reach the Olympic Games semifinals Friday with a 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2) win over Steve Johnson of the United States. Murray had been 0-3 down in the final set to Fabio Fognini in the third round 24 hours earlier and he was a break down at 3-4 in the decider to the 12th seeded Johnson Friday before his big-hitting game saw him through. Murray finished with 31 winners but also 36 unforced errors. He will face either Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori or France's Gael Monfils for a place in the gold medal match. Friday's other quarterfinals see 2008 champion Rafael Nadal taking on Thomaz Bellucci, the Brazilian No. 1. The winner of that tie will meet either Juan Martin del Potro, the conqueror of Novak Djokovic, or Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in Sunday's final. Monica Puig reached the women's singles final to stand one victory away from giving Puerto Rico its first ever gold medal. The 22-year-old is already guaranteed at least a silver — only her country's ninth medal at a Games. She reached Saturday's final by beating two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in a rollercoaster match which featured 10 breaks of serve. Puig, the world No. 34, will face either German second seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber or American seventh seed Madison Keys for the title.
