BEIJING, Aug 16: Russia’s formidable women’s tennis team can storm the Olympic singles podium after Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva reached the final on Saturday.

Sixth seed Safina nipped a Chinese party in the bud on Centre Court, beating home favourite Li Na 7-6, 7-5 at the same time as Dementieva was getting the better of compatriot Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 7-6 over on Court One.

Safina and Dementieva will battle for gold on Sunday when Li will try to halt Russia’s charge in the bronze medal match against Zvonareva, who only made the Russian team when Maria Sharapova pulled out with a shoulder injury.

“It’s unbelievable, a huge moment for our country,” Dementieva, runner-up to Venus Williams in the Sydney Games eight years ago, told reporters.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the first medal of the Olympic tournament when he beat American James Blake 6-3, 7-6 to claim singles bronze. The 21-year-old celebrated by parading a Serbian flag before launching his rackets into the crowd.

Sunday’s men’s singles final pits Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez against Rafael Nadal of Spain.

American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan also sealed a bronze medal in the doubles, winning their third-place play-off against France’s Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Later on Saturday Switzerland’s outgoing world No 1 Roger Federer can claim the Olympic gold medal he craves when he partners Stanislas Wawrinka in the men’s doubles final against Swedes Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson.

Safina came out blazing against Li despite having just 12 hours turnaround time after losing a women’s doubles to Chinese pair Zheng Jie and Yan Zi that finished at nearly 4:00am.

The feisty Russian took a scrappy first set 7-3 in the tiebreak when Li shanked a backhand out. Li led throughout the second set but will rue a terrible error when she served for the set at 5-4 with the score at deuce.

Given too much time to think she blazed a routine overhead into the tramlines. Her gold medal hopes quickly faded then as Safina roared back for victory.—Reuters