Photo: Professional SportAndy Murray and Laura Robson (GBR)
Mixed doubles returns
The draw for the mixed doubles event took place at Wimbledon today, signalling the first time in 88 years that this form of the game has been included as a full medal sport at the Olympics.
Many people may forget that mixed doubles was played in the second moden Olympics at Paris 1900, and nearly a quarter of a century later it was making a fifth appearance in the same city at Paris 1924.
However, that was the last time mixed doubles was seen until Mexico City 1968, but by this time tennis had lost its full medal status and was only being held as an demonstration sport.
A lot has changed in the last 88 years, but what remains the same is the will to win that today's tennis stars will show as they bid to take home the first mixed doubles gold medal in nearly a century.
Dick's Titanic effort
The last Olympic mixed doubles gold medal was won by a man who very nearly died, as his father did, on the Titanic!
When the ship went down in 1912, the story goes that the 21-year old Dick Williams managed to cling on to a lifeboat after fleeing the sinking liner at the very last minute, and he spent several hours in freezing waters.
Desperate to keep alive his dreams of a successful tennis career, he managed to persuade medical staff not to amputate his badly frozen legs and would get up and walk around every two hours, day and night, to repair the injury.
Incredibly, Williams went on to become a tennis star of his era and at Paris 1924, the last Olympics that mixed doubles was included as a full medal sport, he won the mixed doubles gold medal with fellow American Hazel Wightman.
His father was Duane Williams, the man credited with the idea of having an international umbrella organisation for tennis, which ultimately led to the International Tennis Federation we know today.
When the mixed doubles gets under way at the Olympics on Wednesday, two American pairs - Bob Bryan and Liezel Huber, and recent Wimbledon champions Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond - will attempt to continue Williams and Wightman’s legacy.
Tsonga beats Raonic in record-breaker
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Milos Raonic will sleep well tonight after their exhausting, and record-breaking, second round clash which lasted 3 hours 57 minutes.
Tsonga won by the extraordinary scoreline of 63 36 25-23 to set two new Olympic Tennis records: it was the longest-ever three-set match in the history of Olympic Tennis in terms of games played (66 in total), and it contained the longest set (the third set being 48 games long).
Raonic, although devastated to lose, can at least now have a well-earned rest. Poor Tsonga, meanwhile, is still in both singles and doubles at London 2012. Thank goodness the doubles match he was due to play later on Tuesday with Michael Llodra was postponed until Wednesday!
Famous faces
Two royals watched the Centre Court action on Tuesday, as tennis lover Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was joined by Prince Albert of Monaco. Anne Rogge, the wife of IOC President Jacques Rogge, also watched as Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic advanced to the last 16.
Also spotted on No. 1 Court was French President Francois Hollande. A day after his very public appearance alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron at the Olympic handball, he was quietly watching countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga win his marathon match against Milos Raonic.