Monica Puig beats Angelique Kerber in three sets to win Olympic gold
Monica Puig earned Puerto Rico's first gold medal ever, beating Germany's Angelique Kerber at the Rio Olympics women's singles tennis final on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Puig bested world No. 2 and reigning Australian Open champion Kerber in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.
Puig was 5-0 in the last set but the resilient Kerber would not back down so easily, and the 28-year-old clawed her way back to win two games.
Monica Puig defeats Kerber 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 to win Puerto Rico's first #gold medal EVER. #Rio2016 #PUR pic.twitter.com/NkPiwwIBPh
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 13, 2016
But Puig stayed resilient and walked off the court a gold-medal winner.
FIRST GOLD FOR ??
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) August 13, 2016
Everyone at Casa Miranda is bawling.
PA'LANTE @MonicaAce93!!!!!
Happy for @MonicaAce93 She's the best #VivaPuig #GoldenPuig pic.twitter.com/qO5KATRsHM
— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) August 13, 2016
The 34th-ranked Puig is the first unseeded women's singles gold medalist since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988.
Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic won the bronze.
