Olympics 2012: Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova Lose Gold

The 2012 Olympics featured two high-profile gold medal matches in tennis, but the results have been surprising.

On the men's side, No. 1 ranked Roger Federer and No. 4 ranked Andy Murray (according to the ATP rankings) met in the finals on Sunday. 

A good match-up on paper turned into a dominant performance by the lower ranked Murray. Although he had never won a tournament before, he turned in a convincing effort in the gold medal match.

The women's gold medal match featured two of the biggest names in the sport, but quickly turned into a routing. Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams met in the finals, but it was shocking how easily Williams won.

The results are now known, but how exactly did they unfold?

Men's Final

This match-up was a repeat of the 2012 Wimbledon finals, but with a different result.

Earlier this year, Federer beat Murray in four sets at Wimbledon. Murray didn't go down without a fight, though, as he managed to win the first set. He continuously battled for the next three sets but came up short against the world's No. 1. 

When the two met in the gold medal match early Sunday, Murray was able to get revenge. Playing for Great Britain, Murray won the match in straight sets: 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. 

He fell behind in the first game, but followed it up by going on a spurt. The outcome was never in doubt after he came back from behind in the first game. He would win the next nine games, and hold on to win the final set.

Women's Final

Although the men's final turned into a blowout, the women's match was even more disappointing.

Sharapova was the No. 1 player in the world earlier this year, but she has since dropped down to No. 3. Williams came in at No. 4, according to WTA rankings.

Not only is she ranked high, but Sharapova has been playing some of the best tennis of her career in 2012. She made it to the finals of the Australian Open and won the French Open earlier this year, which completed the career Grand Slam.

Official stats can be seen at NBCOlympics.com, but the score tells the story. Williams won the match 6-0, 6-1.

Sharapova had more unforced errors and fewer aces in the match. Williams had the ace advantage of 10-1, part of an all around dominant performance. 

The gold medal matchup took just over an hour to play.