Americans Ram-Krajicek, Fritz-Paul earn silver, bronze in tennis doubles

Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram lost to an Australian duo in the gold medal match, while fellow Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul took bronze in the Olympic doubles tennis tournament Saturday in Paris.

The silver and bronze medals were the second and third Olympic prizes won by Americans on Saturday, following a bronze medal finish in men's rowing.

Australians Matthew Ebden and John Peers first edged Krajicek and Ram 6(6)-7, 7-6(1), 10-8 in the gold-medal match at Roland Garros. The Australians held a 9-6 advantage in aces and 40-29 edge in service winners in the 2-hour, 2-minute match.

Fritz and Paul then beat Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic in the bronze medal match on the same clay surface of Court Philippe-Chatrier. The Americans needed just 70 minutes to earn the 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Fritz and Paul, who lost Ebden and Peers in the semifinals, held advantages of 4-3 in aces and broke their Czech foes' serves three times to clinch their bronze medals.

Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic beat Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen of China in the mixed doubles gold medal match Friday at Roland Garros. Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime earned mixed doubles bronze.

Poland's Iga Swiatek, the world's No. 1 women's singles player, beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the bronze medal match of the singles tournament. China's Zheng Qinwen will take on Croatia's Donna Vekic in the women's singles gold medal match Saturday at Roland Garros.

Lorenzo Musetti of Italy will take on Auger-Aliassime in the men's singles bronze medal match after the Vekic-Zheng meeting on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Novak Djokovic of Serbian will battle Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the men's singles gold medal match Sunday in Paris. Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini will face individual neutral athletes Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider on Sunday in the women's doubles gold medal match.

Spain's Cristina Busca and Sara Sorribes Tormo will face Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic for the women's doubles bronze medal in the first match of the final day of Olympic tennis play.