Justine Henin-Hardenne's comeback is off to a flying start - with an Olympic gold medal.

After missing almost three months of action due to a viral infection, she won her first tournament since losing in the second round of the French Open.

The top-ranked player in the world, despite her prolonged absence, Henin-Hardenne put away second seed Amelie Mauresmo of France with an overhead smash at the net on match point.

That secured a 6-3 6-3 victory and improved Henin-Hardenne's record against Mauresmo to 2-1 this year. They are tied at 3-3 in career meetings.

Alicia Molik won Australia's first singles medal since tennis resumed as an Olympic sport in 1988 when she upset third seed Anastasia Myskina of France, 6-3 6-4, for the bronze.

Myskina was coming off a semi-final loss to Henin-Hardenne in which she blew a 5-1 lead in the third set.

Argentina's Paola Suarez and Patricia Tarabini, already winners of six major doubles titles, added a bronze to their portfolio by defeating Japan's Ai Sugiyama and Shinobu Asagoe 6-3 6-3.

The bronze medal match in the men's singles turned into survival of the fittest.

In a match which lasted 329 points and nearly three and a half hours, Chile's Fernando Gonzalez outlasted American Taylor Dent 6-4 2-6 16-14.

Gonzalez and Dent had to play on in the third set until one went two games up, as Olympic rules call for no tie-breakers in the third set.

The decisive set lasted more than two hours as neither player could gain the upper hand.

Gonzalez, who won Chile's first medal of the 2004 Games, had a chance to close out the match, serving at 5-4 in the third set.

But Dent broke his serve and tied the match.

The players held serve for the next 18 games.

Gonzalez fought off two match points in the 27th game of the set, broke Dent's serve in the next game, and then closed out the match with a forehand winner to claim the bronze medal.

Gonzalez won 165 points and Dent won 164.

"It was a really tough match," said Gonzalez.

"I am very happy to win for my country. I thank a lot all the people who supported me on the court."

The victory was the fifth by Chileans over Americans in six matches the men's singles draw.

The lone loss was by Gonzalez in the semi-finals to Mardy Fish, who meets Chilean Nicolas Massu for the gold medal on Sunday.