Kafelnikov wins tennis singles gold

Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov defeated Tommy Haas of Germany in five gruelling sets on Thursday to win the Olympic tennis gold medal.

The fifth-seeded Kafelnikov, a master of five-set matches, claimed a 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-2 4-6 6-3 victory to capture the first Olympic tennis gold ever for Russia.

Former French and Australian Open champion Kafelnikov had won four of five five-set matches he played in Grand Slam tournaments this season, including three at the French Open, and proved to be too tough for the 22-year-old German.

The victory put a golden finish on a frustrating season for former world number one Kafelnikov, who entered the Sydney Games without a single tournament title this year.

The 26-year-old hurled his racket high into the stands at the Olympic Park Tennis Centre after the unseeded Haas hit a backhand wide on his first match point. He then carried a Russian flag on a victory lap around the court.

The bronze medal went to France's Arnaud Di Pasquale, who defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 on Wednesday.

Mail your comments