BEIJING, China – Former Pepperdine tennis star and Swedish doubles expert Simon Aspelin will play for the Olympic gold medal in men’s doubles as he and his partner won an incredible three-set match against a duo from France in the semifinals today.

 

Aspelin and Thomas Johansson of Sweden defeated the 2007 Wimbledon champions, Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 7-6, 4-6, 19-17, in the semifinals. The match lasted four hours, 46 minutes and set a record for the number of games played in a three-set match.

 

Aspelin and Johansson will play the Swiss team of Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, the tournament’s #4 seed, on Saturday (August 16) in the final.

 

Aspelin is currently the world’s #9-ranked doubles player. He was part of a duo that won the 2007 U.S. Open. He earned All-American honors at Pepperdine in each of his four years (1994-97).

 

He will become the second Pepperdine tennis player to ever medal at the Olympics. Brad Gilbert won a bronze medal in the men’s singles competition in 1988.