Andy Murray in race to win one of Sensational Sunday’s 22 medals

Twenty-two Olympic titles are on offer including golf and tennis. Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro will face each other in the men’s singles final.

Andy Murray (GBR) of Britain celebrates after winning match against Kei Nishikori (JPN) of Japan. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray sealed his place in the gold-medal match after beating Kei Nishikori 6-1 6-4 in the Olympic singles semi-finals in Rio.

Murray, champion from London 2012, will face Juan Martin Del Potro in the final on Sunday as he seeks to become the first man to defend an Olympic tennis title.

Nishikori was comprehensively outclassed in the opening set and mustered just a solitary game, but made Murray work considerably harder in the second.

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro ended Rafael Nadal's hopes of a second Olympic singles title when he prevailed in a gruelling semi-final Saturday, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6, (7/5) to face defending champion Andy Murray for the gold medal.

If Murray wins a second gold medal he will be the first person in the 15 Olympic Games at which tennis has had full recognition to assert his dominance back to back. So it’s hardly surprising he came to Rio, despite others thinking the trip was not worth it.

"It's obviously not an easy thing to do, that's why it's never been done before," said Murray about the prospect of another gold medal.

"I'm going to give my best effort and I'm happy I'm guaranteed the medal, but the goal is obviously the gold."

“The last four months definitely have been the best period of my career,” Murray added. “My job is to try and keep that going, keep up this consistency that I’ve had.”

Murray can become the first player to defend an Olympic singles title on Sunday but he must get past a resurgent Del Potro, who also shocked world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round.