The Indian mixed doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna lost 6-2, 2-6, 3-10 (third set tie-break) to Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram of the US in the Olympics mixed doubles tennis semi-finals on Saturday. The Indian duo still have a chance for a medal, however, since they will now play for bronze.

India’s largest-ever Olympic contingent (119) is yet to win a medal at Rio 2016. Pundits had placed their bets on Mirza-Bopanna to bag a gold or silver, given the highly depleted field.

Mirza and Bopanna appeared to start from where they had left off in their straight sets victory against Britain's Andy Murray and Heather Watson in the quarter-final, winning the first set quite easily, with two breaks of serve, 6-2. Both players served and returned well, with Mirza playing some delectable down the line winners.

But Williams and Ram hit back in the second set, breaking the Indians' serve to lead 3-1. A second break meant they won the set easily too, by the same score, 6-2. The match then went into a third set tie-break, where Williams – who has three Olympic golds in women's doubles tennis – stamped her authority on the proceedings to ensure a 10-3 win for the Americans and, with it, a passage to the final.