Defending champion Serena Williams ended a three-match losing streak against France’s Alize Cornet to keep her hopes of a fifth Olympic gold medal alive.
But it was a roller-coaster 7-6, 6-2 victory for the 34-year-old world number one who had suffered her first ever Olympic Games women’s doubles loss with sister Venus.
The 22-time major winner has now set a third round clash with Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
Sukanya Srisurat says her Olympic gold was redemption for serving a two-year-ban for doping offences as Thailand finished with Gold and Silver in the women’s 58kg to lead the weightlifting medals table.
The 21-year-old lifted an Olympic record 110kg in the snatch and 130kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 240kg to comfortably beating compatriot Pimsiri Sirikaw to first place.
Colombian weightlifter Oscar Figueroa also struck Olympic gold and then immediately retired capping a rollercoaster few months after he was given a suspended prison sentence for a car crime.
The 33-year-old lifted 318kg in a keenly contested men’s 62kg contest.
Figueroa who was a silver medalist in London four years ago removed his shoes to signify that he was retiring fom the sport.
