The United States booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympic Games with a match to spare after a commanding 4-1 victory over Germany.

Sophia Smith netted a first-half double on either side of Mallory Swanson's goal before Lynn Williams wrapped up the points late on.

Giulia Gwinn had given Germany hope by equalising, but the USA were too strong as they ruthlessly booked a place in the knockout rounds.

The USA made a quick start, with Smith darting in front of her marker to slot a close-range tap-in past Ann-Katrin Berger, only for Gwinn to cancel it out 11 minutes later with a pinpoint shot into the bottom-left corner.

Emma Hayes' side soon asserted their dominance though – Swanson reacted quickest to latch onto Smith's saved shot, firing in from an acute angle on the left.

Smith then got her second just before the break, helped by a huge deflection, as her effort looped over Berger before bouncing over the line off the inside of the far post.

Jule Brand struck the woodwork just after the hour mark before further misery was piled on the Germans as captain Alexandra Popp was forced off late in the second half with a knee injury that they will be hoping is not too serious. 

Williams rounded things off by making a quick impact off the bench, finishing off a lightning-quick counter-attack just under four minutes after coming on. 

Data Debrief: Smith and Swanson on song

The USA got the job done in the first half, ensuring Hayes became just the second coach to win each of their first two major tournament matches in charge, after Anson Dorrance in the 1991 World Cup.

Swanson added to her double against Zambia with another goal in Marseille and is just the second player in USA's history to net three times in the group stage of a single Olympics, after Abby Wambach in 2012.

Before today, the winner of each of the five previous major tournament meetings between the USA and Germany has gone on to win the entire tournament, and Hayes will be hoping that is a good sign of what is to come.

Anthony Davis says Team USA "expect nothing less" after Kevin Durant starred on his return from injury in a 110-84 win against Serbia at the Olympic Games.

Durant did not play any of the pre-Olympic warm-up games due to a calf injury and was only cleared to play for the USA an hour before their opener started.

However, he made a huge impact in just 17 minutes, nailing his first eight shots, including five 3-pointers, as he scored 23 points.

After being touch-and-go for the tournament, with coach Steve Kerr reluctant to rush him back too early, Davis says the team knew he would be ready when called upon.

"We expect nothing less," he said. "We know what he can do when the ball is in his hand, and he got hot. It was fun to watch his first time, second time, 12th.

"To see and be a fan and actually get a chance to cheer for him instead of rooting against [him] with his scoring ability – man, it was fun to watch."

Durant was not the only one in fine form, as LeBron James marked his Olympic comeback with a standout performance, getting 21 points, eight rebounds and nine assists as he provided a spark.

James and Durant also became the first USA team-mates to both score over 20 points in an Olympic opener.

The 39-year-old, playing his first contest at the Games since 2012, when he won his second consecutive gold medal, was full of praise for Durant and the team as the USA chase a sixth title in a row.

"I mean [Durant] is just an out-of-this-world talent," he said after the game. "That's the best game we played so far.

"[I'll do] Whatever it takes [to win]. It's going to be somebody different every day. And we have that type of firepower."

Next up for Team USA in Group C is South Sudan, who made history in their Olympic debut earlier on Sunday.

Their basketball federation was only formed in 2011, and they beat Puerto Rico 90-79 for their first win at the Games.

Andy Murray delayed his retirement with an epic Olympics first-round comeback as he and Dan Evans fought back to beat Japan's Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniels.

The two-time gold medallist looked set to be playing his final game, but Team GB prevailed 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 11-9 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Nishikori and Daniels, who were both eliminated from the men's singles competition earlier in the day, were keen to make amends and broke the British pair twice in the last four games of the opening set to draw first blood.

Murray and Evans responded well and replied to two breaks in the second set to force a tie-break, in which they held their nerve to level.

In the final set decider, the curtain looked sure to come down on Murray's glittering career, but the Brits survived five match points to level the tie-break at 9-9 before remarkably booking their place in the next round.

Data Debrief: From the jaws of defeat

Nishikori and Daniels could not have asked for a better first set as they brushed their opponents aside, making just four unforced errors to Team GB's 10.

However, Murray and Evans' resilience kicked in, and they saved two break points in the second set. In the decider, they won the last seven points to storm through, leaving their opponents shocked.

In an already memorable tournament for Murray, he has just played a match that will live long in the memory.

Coco Gauff won her Olympic singles debut with a dominant straight-sets victory over Ajla Tomljanovic on Sunday.

The American cruised through in just 57 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, winning 6-3 6-0 in the evening session.

Gauff raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set and did well to hold off the Australian's fightback after trading breaks for the next four games. She soon regained her advantage at 5-3 though, before winning the final game to love to take the lead.

Gauff eased through the second set with little fuss and Tomljanovic had no answers as she finished the game on the wrong end of a bagel.

Next up for Gauff is Argentina's Maria Lourdes Carle, who routed Tatjana Maria 6-0 6-0 on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Gauff gets off to perfect start

Gauff missed the Tokyo 2021 Olympics through illness, and she could not have asked for a better start in Paris after winning both her doubles and singles matches.

The 20-year-old won the final eight games in a row en route to her dominant win, breaking Tomljanovic's serve six times throughout the match.

Rafael Nadal acknowledged Novak Djokovic will be the "clear favourite" in their blockbuster men's singles clash at the Paris Olympics.

Two of the game's greats will lock horns for the 60th time - and what is expected to be the final time - in round two at Roland-Garros, following Nadal's victory over Marton Fucsovics.

The Spaniard battled past his Hungarian opponent in three sets to keep his final campaign alive on the French clay, where he won a record-breaking 14 French Open titles.

He secured the most recent of those in 2022 following a victory over Djokovic in the quarter-finals - and what was the pair's most recent encounter.

But Nadal knows he will be the underdog this time around.

"Of course, it's beautiful to play against one of the two biggest rivals that I had in my career, especially on this court," he said.

"But our situations are completely different. He's been very competitive. I have not been very competitive for the last two years, so in that case, I think probably he is the clear favourite.

"I'm going to try to bring my best to the court and then let's see how far I can go, and how many problems I can create [for] him.

"It's always beautiful to play on this court, without a doubt. Representing your country is always super special."

Rafael Nadal will play Novak Djokovic in a blockbuster men's singles second-round clash at the Paris Olympics, after battling past Marton Fucsovics in three sets.

The winner of 14 French Open titles at Roland-Garros, Nadal prevailed once more on Court Philippe-Chatrier, outlasting his Hungarian opponent 6-1 4-6 6-4.

The Spaniard quickly settled into his stride and wrapped up the opening set in just 31 minutes.

However, Fucsovics responded well with an early break in the second and, though Nadal cancelled it out in game nine, the Hungarian broke again to level.

Nadal appeared in trouble at 2-1 and 40-0 down on serve in the decider, but managed to dig deep and just about hold.

He then gained the crucial break in the following game, before holding out to set up that mouth-watering showdown with Djokovic.

Data Debrief: Nadal and Djokovic set for 'one last dance'

Nadal's victory means a record-extending 60th meeting - and what will likely be the last - meeting with Djokovic.

Once again, they will do battle at Roland-Garros, two years after the Spaniard prevailed in their French Open quarter-final meeting in four sets on his way to a 14th crown.

Nadal demonstrated his quality under pressure once more against Fucsovics, converting four of his eight break-point opportunities, compared to just two of 10 from his opponent.

Barbora Krejcikova came from behind to beat Sara Sorribes Tormo and book her place in the women's singles second round at the Paris Olympics.

The reigning Wimbledon champion recovered from losing the opening set at Roland-Garros, where she eventually prevailed 4-6 6-0 7-6 (7-3) in just under three hours.

Krejcikova has fond memories of Court Philippe-Chatrier, lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for her maiden singles slam three years ago, but fell behind after she was broken three times in the opening set.

Nevertheless, the Czech came roaring back with a bagel to set up a deciding set, which came down to a tie-break, before she held her nerve to set up a second-round clash with Wang Xinyu.

Data Debrief: Eight straight wins for Krejcikova

It was not easy, but the reigning Wimbledon champion eventually built on her momentum from SW19, stretching her singles winning streak to eight matches.

Although beaten by eventual gold medallist Belinda Bencic in round three in Tokyo three years ago, Krejcikova did triumph in the women's doubles alongside compatriot Katerina Siniakova.

She will hope that previous podium experience will help drive her towards crowning a memorable year with another gold in Paris. 

Angelique Kerber breezed into the second round at the Paris Olympic Games with a straight-sets win over Naomi Osaka.

In her final tournament, the German kept her hopes of going out on a high alive, getting a 7-5 6-3 victory in just 69 minutes at the end of a rainy opening day at Roland Garros.

Osaka started strongly, racing into a 3-1 lead, but Kerber fought back and eventually got the vital break in the penultimate game of the set to edge in front.

The two were evenly matched again at the start of the second, but Osaka struggled to maintain her high level and lost her serve twice at the end as Kerber's four-game winning run carried her over the line.

Kerber will now face Jaqueline Cristian of Romania in the second round.

Data Debrief: Going for gold

Kerber won a silver medal in singles at Rio 2016, and she is looking to sign off her glittering career by going one better in Paris.

She asserted her dominance in the second set, particularly, winning 13 of 14 points when she got her first delivery into play.

Kerber also bows out holding a 5-2 head-to-head record over Osaka, who once again struggled on clay.

Kiliann Sildillia's second-half goal helped France continue their perfect start to the Olympic Games as they booked a place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare.

Les Bleus made it two wins from two thanks to the right-back's header, though they rode their luck against a spirited Guinea side, who had two first-half goals disallowed.

Amadou Diawara forced Guillaume Restes into a superb fingertip save just minutes into the tie before Jean-Philippe Mateta wasted a hat-trick of chances to put the hosts ahead.

A cheeky backheel dribbled wide, and a thumping header missed the target on either side of Soumaila Sylla's smothering save.

Naby Keita clinically picked out the bottom corner from an offside position just before half-time, with Abdoulaye Toure also seeing a goal ruled out moments later after meeting a free-kick.

France came to life in the second half and gave a warning sign when Loic Bade struck the post from a tight angle.

In the end, Sildillia proved the difference as he was left unmarked to meet Michael Olise's cross, and Sylla could not get to his thumping header.

France are through to the next round, and top Group A with six points, while Guinea sit bottom of the group having lost both of their matches so far.

Data Debrief: Les Bleus leave it late

For much of the first half in this game, France were sluggish and could have easily gone into half-time 2-0 down if it was not for two tight offside calls. 

In the end, Thierry Henry's side showed their quality, with Olise proving the key man. He created six chances, more than anyone else on the pitch, with one of those resulting in an assist.

It is the first time France have reached the quarter-finals at the Olympics since 1996, as they looked to end a 40-year wait for a gold medal in the event.

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal did not disappoint in their much-anticipated doubles debut as they battled through to the second round of the Paris Olympic Games.

The Spaniards saw off Argentinian pair Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in straight sets 7-6 (6-4) 6-4 in one hour and 49 minutes on Saturday.

Alcaraz, who began the day with a victory in his singles debut, made a nervy start as he dropped his first serve, but Nadal soon helped to settle the nerves.

They got the vital break in the next game, though there was little to separate the teams after that with a tie-break necessary to put Alcaraz and Nadal in front.

Gonzalez and Molteni rallied in the second set, racing into a 3-0 lead, but could not prevent a fight back as Alcaraz and Nadal won the next three games.

After another vital break for the Spaniards at 4-4, Nadal then served out the match to set up a meeting with either Dutch pair Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof or Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan of Hungary.

Data Debrief: Living up to expectations

It is the match-up that everybody was waiting for at the Olympics, and despite a sluggish start, Alcaraz and Nadal soon turned on the style.

They hit 17 winners, and even though Alcaraz's first service game was not his usual best, they went on to win 46 of their 64 service points (72%).

Victor Wembanyama says he "knew it was going to be a good day" after starring for France in their 78-66 victory over Brazil in Group B.

Despite a slow start by the hosts, which saw them trailing early in the second quarter, Wembanyama helped to steady their nerves in Lille.

The NBA Rookie of the Year last season came away with 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots as he inspired his nation in front of a sell-out crowd.

France did not fully seal the victory until late on though, with Nicolas Batum's 3-pointer putting them up by 10 with less than a minute and a half remaining before Wembanyama's dunk made sure of the points in the next possession.

"I knew it was going to be a good day," he said.

"You can't underestimate the power of the crowd, the home crowd. I think it's really going to be the sixth man for this whole tournament."

Meanwhile, team-mate Evan Fournier was quick to heap praise on the 20-year-old after the game.

"I think he did pretty damn good," he said. "He can do so many things that sometimes it's like a burden because he doesn't focus on just one thing."

France will face Japan in their second game of Group B on Tuesday before their final match against Germany. 

Andy Murray says winning the gold medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012 was the pinnacle of his career.

The Scot is playing in his final tournament at this year's Games in Paris and will be competing in doubles alongside Dan Evans.

Murray is playing in his fifth Olympics and is the only male two-time gold medallist in singles having also taken the top prize at Rio 2016.

He beat Roger Federer on home soil in straight sets in 2012, avenging a Wimbledon final defeat on the same court from a month earlier, before successfully defending his title four years later against Novak Djokovic.

Murray also won three grand slams in his career, triumphing twice at Wimbledon and at the US Open, but he said claiming gold for Team GB is the best achievement of his career.

"Winning the gold medal and obviously the silver in London is probably a big highlight," Murray told Eurosport. "Obviously Wimbledon was amazing but the way I felt that week [in London] meant the most to me.

"I don't always like it on the court, I do find competing very stressful, but that week, I was so happy. I really enjoyed the whole week.

"It is once in a lifetime to compete in an Olympics at home, and you know you're not going to get that opportunity again. Certainly made the most of it.

"I was lucky to win a couple of medals and we were really close to getting gold in the mixed as well.

"I did feel good going into that whole week I played. I felt like I was playing really, really well. I wasn't certainly sure I would win the final against Federer, but it was one of the best matches I've ever played, to be honest.

"Everything seemed to click that week. I don't know why that was the case. But I wish I could have played like that more often."

Following an injury-hit year, Murray will not be able to complete a hat-trick of gold medals in the singles, having withdrawn from that competition.

Now, the 37-year-old is determined to make the most of his final-ever tournament as he aims for glory at Roland Garros for the first time.

"I've been really lucky," Murray explained. "Athletes don't always acknowledge that side of things, but you need a lot of luck to hang around for that long.

"There have been some amazing athletes who have played in five, six Olympics. I'm glad to do it one more time.

"It's really different. It's amazing how just the change in the colours of the background can affect the feel of a place. Obviously, really familiar with Roland Garros and being in Paris, but the Olympics bring a different atmosphere.

"We experienced that in London. It wasn't how Wimbledon usually is. It was a very different feel. I love that. And I hope the French people come out and support and create a brilliant atmosphere there."

Team USA are hoping to have everyone fit for Sunday's Olympic basketball opener versus Serbia, despite doubts over Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant.

Embiid and Davis have both been suffering from illness in recent days while Durant – Team USA's all-time record points scorer at the Olympics – missed their five warm-up games with a calf injury.

As the United States prepare to take on NBA MVP Nikola Jokic in their opening Group C game, coach Steve Kerr will give his stars every chance to prove their fitness.

"I'm confident we'll have everybody ready," Kerr said on Saturday.

Asked specifically about Durant's condition, Kerr added: "Hopefully he'll play. 

"He came through the scrimmage two days ago pretty well, and we'll have another practice today and just keep taking it day by day."

The USA did beat Serbia 105-79 in an exhibition game in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, also overcoming Jokic and company in the gold medal match at Rio 2016.

The Denver Nuggets star averaged 26.4 points through 79 regular season games in 2023-24, only managing more in his second MVP campaign in 2021-22 (27.1).

Los Angeles Lakers forward Davis is wary of the threat he will pose to the USA's chances of starting with a win, as they target a fifth straight gold in the men's basketball competition.

"Jokic, with what he's able to do, obviously we know what he does in the NBA, but maybe he'll get a little bit higher usage in the international game," Davis said. "It's going to be fun."

The NBA's all-time leading scorer LeBron James, who helped his country win gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, is aware a fast start to their campaign could make all the difference.

"This is not like the NBA, where it's a marathon," James said. "This is a sprint. 

"This is a Michael Johnson or Usain Bolt-type game. The real thing starts tomorrow, so we need to be ready to go, which we will be."

Fermin Lopez and Alex Baena were on target as Spain beat 10-man Dominican Republic 3-1 to seal their place in the men's quarter-finals at the Olympic Games with a match to spare.

Miguel Gutierrez also struck for La Roja, who made it two wins from two in Group C at Stade de Bordeaux, where their opponents played over half of the game with 10 players following Edison Azcona's red card.

Santi Denia's side opened their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan at Parc des Princes on Wednesday, and the first goal of this contest was handed to them on a plate in the 24th minute.

Fermin ruthlessly pounced on Enrique Boesl's tame pass out of goal, with the Barcelona midfielder calmly slotting home.

The Dominican Republic levelled 13 minutes later through Angel Montes de Oca's free header, but they were reduced to 10 men just before half-time with Azcona dismissed for violent conduct after lashing out at Pau Cubarsi.

Spain capitalised on their numerical advantage through Alex Baena's deflected strike in the 55th minute before substitute Gutierrez sealed the points 15 minutes later by tapping into an empty net, with the goal eventually standing following a VAR review. 

Data Debrief: La Roja roar into quarter-finals

Spain dominated large periods of the contest with 21 shots to their opponents' five and, playing the entire second half with an extra player, their superiority eventually told.

Silver medallists in Tokyo three years ago, La Roja have progressed from the group stage of consecutive Games for the first time since a run of three straight qualifications between 1992 and 2000.

Novak Djokovic began his latest Olympic gold medal bid with a statement victory over Australia's Matthew Ebden at Roland-Garros.

The 24-time major winner took just 53 minutes to wrap up a comprehensive 6-0 6-1 rout on Court Philippe-Chatrier, to set up a potential second-round clash with Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic won bronze on his Olympic debut in 2008, but missed out on a medal after finishing fourth in 2012 and 2020, while he was beaten in round one in Rio by eventual silver medallist Juan Martin del Potro eight years ago.

However, there was no danger of a repeat of the latter this time around. The Serb took just 24 minutes to wrap up a dominant first set, in which he bageled his helpless opponent.

Ebden remained in positive spirits despite his ordeal. At one stage, he offered his racquet to the crowd, who gave him a wonderful reception when he won his first game of the contest at the 11th attempt.

Nevertheless, it only briefly delayed the inevitable, with Djokovic cruising to the finish line.

Data Debrief: Dominant Djokovic soars into second round

There was no messing around from the 24-time major winner on Saturday, as he was done and dusted in just under an hour at Roland-Garros.

He converted six of his nine break-point opportunities, while winning 14 of 19 net points (74%).

The identity of his second-round opponent is still to be decided, but we could well see a blockbuster clash with Nadal.

 

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