Marathon man

Gonzalez wins bronze, then teams with Massu for Chile's first gold

Fernando Gonzalez (left) played seven hours of tennis and came away with two medals, including a gold with Nicolas Massu. AP

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- It was probably the longest, and certainly the most satisfying, day of Fernando Gonzalez's tennis career.

He played 90 games over eight sets covering two matches lasting a total of 7 hours, 8 minutes. He punched in at 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 hours later was clutching Chile's first gold medal in Olympic history.

Oh, and he won a bronze, too.

First, Gonzalez outlasted Taylor Dent of the United States 6-4, 2-6, 16-14 in the singles bronze medal match. Then he got a chance to rest while Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium beat Amelie Mauresmo of France 6-3, 6-3 for the women's singles gold, and that medal ceremony bought him some extra time.

Still, he only had about 2 1/2 hours to recover before taking to center court again, this time with Nicolas Massu for the men's doubles final. They beat Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler of Germany 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, the final point coming at 2:39 a.m.

The Chileans saved four match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker, then rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the final set.

They broke Kiefer to go ahead 5-4 -- the seventh time one team or the other lost serve in the final set -- and Gonzalez held serve to end the match. The Chileans needed three match points to clinch it, a fittingly drawn-out close to Gonzalez's day.

When the match ended, they flung their rackets and collapsed in a heap on the court, hugging.

Not surprisingly, Gonzalez was treated by a trainer for pain in his left hamstring and knee after the third set of the doubles match. Later, he would take a few extra seconds here and there between points to stretch that leg.

Gonzalez and Massu never had won a doubles titles as pros -- either together or with other partners. Their previous career highlight might very well have been winning the U.S. Open junior doubles title in 1997.

Gonzalez has only twice been as far as the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament, and all four of his career singles titles came on clay; the Olympic tennis facility has hard courts.

How new is all this to Gonzalez, Massu and Chile?

During the doubles medal ceremony, they were chatting, and didn't hear their names announced -- the cue to step up to the top step of the podium to receive their wreaths, flower bouquets and, most importantly, gold medals.

So bronze medalist Ivan Ljubicic turned to them and nodded his head in their direction, then the direction of the podium, as if to say, "Hey, guys, it's your turn."