Switzerland's Belinda Bencic wins tennis gold medal, Novak Djokovic suffers another upset

July 31 (UPI) -- Belinda Bencic beat Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic to become the first woman in history to win an Olympic gold medal in tennis for Switzerland at the 2020 Summer Games on Saturday in Tokyo.

Bencic fired 15 backhand winners and converted six of 10 break points in her 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 victory.

"It's amazing," Bencic told NBC. "I can't believe it. I don't get it yet. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I didn't know it would be possible."

Bencic, 24, started her run with a straight-sets win over American Jessica Pegula in the first round on July 24 in Tokyo.

She went on to beat Misaki Doi of Japan, Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of the Russia Olympic Committee.

She then beat No. 20 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the semifinals Thursday to advance to the women's final. She battled the Tokyo heat and overcame a second-set loss Saturday to claim her historic gold medal.

"I was trying everything to keep the rallies really long and make her work hard for it," Bencic said of Vondrousova. "It was a balance between taking too much risk and pushing her. ... I don't know how I won, I really don't know."

Bencic will team up with Viktorija Golubic and attempt to win another gold medal against the Czech Republic's Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in a women's doubles match Sunday in Tokyo.

No. 6 Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine claimed the bronze medal in the women's singles tournament. She beat Rybakina in Saturday's second match on centre court at Ariake Tennis Court.

Men's world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia also suffered his second-consecutive upset, losing in three sets to No. 11 Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain in a bronze medal match Saturday on centre court.

Carreno Busta won that two-hour, 47-minute match 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3. He converted one of two break points in the win. Djokovic failed to convert his lone break point opportunity.

"Dreams come true," Carreno Busta told NBC. "This is amazing. I've never felt anything like this. It's a bronze medal, but for me it [feels] like a gold."

Djokovic also withdrew from the mixed doubles bronze medal match due to a left shoulder injury. Australia's Ash Barty and John Peers were given that medal due to the withdrawal.

No. 5 Alexander Zverev of Germany upset Djokovic in a men's singles semifinal Friday in Tokyo. Zverev battles No, 25 Karen Khachanov of the Russian Olympic Committee in the men's singles final Sunday at Ariake Tennis Park.