Olympic Results 2012: Most Exciting Outcomes from Day 6 Action

We're just about halfway through the Olympics, and the drama and suspense are only beginning to heat up.

There's been plenty of action to behold on a jam-packed Day 6, including lots of swimming qualifications, a couple of huge tennis semifinal matchups and yet another big win for France's men's basketball team.

Here's a look a the best outcomes to emerge from London on Day 6 thus far. You can see a fully updated list of all of Thursday's results here.

Missy Franklin and Michael Phelps Impress During Heats

Two of the U.S.'s biggest stars are gearing up for the opportunity to seize more gold medals, and both of them passed their early-morning tests with flying colors.

Missy Franklin, already the winner of two gold medals and one bronze, spent the morning competing in one of her top events—the 200-meter backstroke—and didn't disappoint anyone. Her time of 2:07.54 was the fastest in the heats.

Thursday, however, will be a huge day for Franklin, and one that threatens to deplete her energy: She still has to swim in the 200-meter backstroke semifinals and in the 100-meter freestyle finals before her night is over, and the two events are only separated by a mere 33 minutes. This will be the truest test of her stamina.

Phelps, meanwhile, started off his morning with an impressive qualifying time in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing in 51.54 seconds for the second-fastest overall time. If he wins the final, he will make history by becoming the first male swimmer to win the same event for the third straight Olympics, according to Reuters.

For both Franklin and Phelps, the pressure is on. 

Novak Djokovic Advances in Tennis Quarterfinals

The Serbian bounced back from a slight scare in the third round to take care of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon on Thursday, winning 6-1, 7-5 to earn a spot in the semifinals.

The semifinals, of course, might bring up some bad memories for Djokovic: That was the stage in which he lost to Roger Federer at the All England Club about a month ago. But there's no time like the present—and there's no stage like the Olympics—to erase the bad taste of that defeat.

Thursday's win was a character win for Djokovic, because in the second set, Tsonga tested Djokovic to his limits. After dropping the first three games of the second set, Djokovic charged back with a vengeance and cruised after tying things up at five games apiece.

A win at Wimbledon would be a huge morale boost for the Serb, whose last two major tournaments—the French Open and Wimbledon—have ended in crushing defeat.

In other tennis news, Serena Williams continued her dominance at Wimbledon with a blistering victory over Caroline Wozniacki in the women's quarterfinals, winning 6-0, 6-3.

France Basketball Trumps Lithuania

After France was demolished by the U.S. in its first game of the Olympics on Sunday, many assumed this team was done. The French looked so underwhelming—and team savior Tony Parker was so flat—that, in the eyes of many, they were written off.

But then they surged back with a huge win over Manu Ginobili and Argentina in their second game, and on Thursday morning, they earned their second straight win—this time, an 82-74 defeat of Lithuania—to keep hope alive.

Suddenly, this team doesn't look dead at all. Maybe it was just unfortunate to have drawn the U.S. in its first game. And as for Parker, he has silenced his critics—and has proven his special protective eye-goggles really do work—by leading France with 27 points in the win. According to the Associated Press, he hit a key three-pointer at the end of the third quarter that helped to ensure the victory, and just like that, France is back in the running for a medal.