Retirement can wait: Murray, Evans save 5 M.P.s to advance at Olympics

Andy Murray's career was as close to being over as possible Sunday evening, but then came one of the early moments of magic of the Paris Olympics.

The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings and Daniel Evans of Great Britain saved five consecutive match points from 4/9 in the Match Tie-break before defeating Japan's Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori 2-6, 7-6(5), 11-9. 

“We just tried to play every point at the end. I thought we were done,” Murray said. “Evo came out with some good returns. I had a couple good serves at 6/9 to get us to 8/9. Just unbelievable. I’ve never played a doubles match like that where I’ve saved that many consecutive match points. A special place to do it obviously.”

WHAT A FIGHT ?@andy_murray and Dan Evans save 5 match points to win their first round battle in #Paris2024 ?#Olympics #tennis pic.twitter.com/h8PwdRfpgP

Daniel and Nishikori were in control for most of the match, leading 6-2, 4-2. But Evans and Murray continued to battle on and ultimately overcame a seemingly insurmountable deficit in the momentum-filled Match Tie-break.

“It’s amazing. I guess at 4/9 I just didn’t want to miss the shot to end his career,” Evans said with a laugh. “It sums him up. It’s amazing. Honestly the best feeling for me to be a part of that. To hit a forehand down-the-line, which he was probably not that happy that he’d gone cross on the last one. Just couldn't believe it when I saw it.”

Evans and Murray, who lost in the first round at Roland Garros earlier this year, will next play eighth seeds Arthur Fils/Ugo Humbert or Belgians Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen. Evans had won a three-set singles match earlier in the day.

The Britons also competed together last year in Washington (l. in the quarter-finals) and in the 2017 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells (l. in the Round of 16).

“I think both of us have loved competing for our country over the years. We’ve been a part of the same Davis Cup team for many years. Dan has a huge passion when he’s competing as part of a team. Both of us wanted to do this together for my last tournament,” Murray said. “I’ve loved being part of the Olympics, it’s an amazing event. It’s meant a lot to me over the years and to get to finish playing here one last time in the Olympics is extra special.

”Just glad we live to fight another day because it would’ve been obviously disappointing to lose today. But we keep going, let’s see where we get to.”

The top seeds, Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, were eliminated. Spaniards upset Bolelli and Vavassori 2-6, 7-6(5), 10-7.

Portuguese players Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral eliminated Greek brothers Petros Tsitsipas and Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-3, 12-10 and Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz defeated Daniil Medvedev and Roman Safiullin 6-4, 6-4.

Home favourites Gael Monfils and Edouard Roger-Vasselin thrilled the French crowd with a 7-5, 6-2 triumph over N.Sriram Balaji and Rohan Bopanna 7-5, 6-2.

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