Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani claim Brazil's first Olympic tennis medal

The pair saved four consecutive match points in the deciding tie-break to win 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 after two hours and 11 minutes in the baking Tokyo heat.

Luisa Stefani, center, and Laura Pigossi, of Brazil, celebrate after defeating Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina, of the Russian Olympic Committee. (Photo | AP) 

TOKYO: Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani won Brazil's first ever Olympic medal in tennis on Saturday with a hard-fought victory over Russians Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina in the women's doubles bronze-medal match.

The pair saved four consecutive match points in the deciding tie-break to win 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 after two hours and 11 minutes in the baking Tokyo heat.

Brazil have sent tennis players to every Games since the sport was reintroduced to the Olympics in 1988.

Kudermetova and Vesnina, who will also play in Sunday's mixed doubles final alongside Aslan Karatsev, led 9-5 in the breaker but failed to secure victory.

Pigossi and Stefani sealed their historic medal with a brilliant run of six straight points.