Blake Wins Rainy Debut Olympic Match

American James Blake took the first step toward his goal of an Olympic gold in tennis today, beating Australia's Chris Guccione 6-3, 7-6 (3). Blake scored the final point of the tiebreak with an ace. He held service in every game, and only once broke Guccione. Heavy rain delayed many other matches.

Serena Williams led Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-3, 2-1 when her match was suspended. Of the 45 matches scheduled for today, only nine finished, and top-seeded Roger Federer was one of many players still waiting to take the court. With 7 days remaining for six rounds, the pace will be rough—especially for those playing doubles as well as singles. (More James Blake stories.)