Day 8: Houdet v Kunieda....as it happened

LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN: It was a battle of the former and current world number one for the men's singles gold. Number one seed Frenchman Stephane Houdet of France took on number two seed Shingo Kunieda of Japan in the final match at Eton Manor. Follow all the action as it happened below here:

KUNIEDA WINS 6-4 6-2 (84 MINS)

Houdet 4-6 2-6 Kunieda
Wow what an end. Houdet saves one match point, before Kunieda faced two break points. Kunieda brought the game back to deuce and soon had an advantage. Yet another impressive forehand and he has a place in history!

Houdet 4-6 2-5 *Kunieda
Two double faults from Houdet has given Kunieda the double break. He is looking the dominant force now and it is looking difficult for Houdet to recover. He is only four points away from the gold medal. The Japanese in the crowd are chanting all over the stadium.

Houdet* 4-6 2-4 Kunieda
Could this have been Houdet's chance. He was up 15-30 but Kunieda held it together to hold serve. Houdet is starting to dominate more and more points.

Houdet 4-6 2-3 *Kunieda
Houdet will be grateful for the shorter points in this game which gave him a comfortable win. This time it was his turn to hit the winners to win it after just dropping one point.

Houdet* 4-6 1-3 Kunieda
What a game! Both players were reaching balls that were almost on the sideboards and playing some impressive tennis. Kunieda is just that bit quicker giving him a slight advantage.

Houdet 4-6 1-2 *Kunieda
The match is not over by any means. Houdet is fighting with everything that he has. A down the line backhand pushed long by Kunieda keeps Houdet within touching distance of Kuniedda. The French and Japanese flags are being waved all over the stadium as the crowd enjoy this impressive display of tennis.

Houdet* 4-6 0-2 Kunieda
Impressive service game from Kunieda. He wins it to love and has made the start he needed to try and be the first player in the men's singles draw to win two gold medals back to back.

Houdet 4-6 0-1 *Kunieda
Houdet does not have the start that he would have wished for going 15-40 down on his opening service game. And guess what, yet another forehand winner from Kunieda gives him the lead. 

FIRST SET KUNIEDA 6-4 (49 MINS)

Houdet* 4-6 0-0 Kunieda
Kunieda hits two impressive backhands down the line to give himself two set points at 15-40. Houdet saves the first one but that forehand attack which has been Houdet's downfall reappears again with Houdet's defensive ball going up in the air and flying out.

Houdet 4-5 *Kunieda
Houdet is missing a large percentage of first serves, allowing Kunieda to attack his second serve. Houdet saves two points getting Kunieda on full stretch. On the third set point Houdet's backhand just clips the back of the baseline which Kunieda left. Houdet scrapes through the match to leave Kunieda to serve for the set. 

Houdet* 3-5 Kunieda
Both players are being moved from side to side at the baseline with some impressive baseline play. Kunieda puts an end to Houdet's run of games to take him to within one game of the first set.

Houdet 3-4 *Kunieda
What a difference a game can make. Houdet dictated all the points there coming into the net to provide a mixture of power, spin and touch. He wins his service game to love and the match is now starting to come alive. 

Houdet* 2-4 Kunieda
Kunieda saves two break points, the first ones of the match with the forehand winner that we have seen a large amount of on centre court. Houdet is starting to attack more and is now also moving up into the court to take the ball on. The longest rally of the match so far gives Houdet another break point and an unusual forehand error by Kunieda allows Houdet back into the match.

Houdet 1-4 *Kunieda
All the errors are coming from Houdet as Kunieda's impressive form continues. There appears to be no problems of the injury that kept him out of the last season and he is back on top form. Houdet's second serve is not good enough as Kunieda hits a forehand return that gives him the double break

Houdet* 1-3 Kunieda
You can see the pressure Houdet is under from Kunieda. He tries to lift the ball more off his groundstrokes to give himself more time but Kunieda moves forward to take the ball of the rise and comfortably holds.

Houdet 1-2 *Kunieda
Kunieda is dominating when the ball is on his forehand He wins his second breakpoint with a forehand drive that Houdet cannot return off Houdet's first serve. Houdet is having to work for every point here, Kunieda is giving him nothing for free. 

Houdet* 1-1 Kunieda
Houdet does not have the speed to reach Kunieda's forehand drives. Kunieda levels the match after hitting three forehand winners past Houdet. 

Houdet 1-0 *Kunieda
Houdet holds his nerve to save his first break point with an impressive dropshot winner. Kunieda is needing all of his speed around the court to try and reach Houdet's shots which are being placed all over the court. Both players have started on their top form.

Houdet* 0-0 Kunieda
So this is the final showdown of the tournament! A former and current world number one set to take the stage as the sun starts to set over Eton Manor. The players enter the court, Houdet walking onto court pushing his chair onto court as he has done all week.  

* denotes server