Andy Murray put retirement on hold with an incredible fightback alongside Dan Evans in the first round of the Olympic men’s doubles.
Murray is playing the final event of his brilliant career and, having pulled out of singles on Thursday, knew defeat against Japanese duo Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori would mean the end.
It certainly looked to be heading that way when, having trailed 4-2 in the second set on a subdued Court Suzanne Lenglen, Murray and Evans then faced five match points at 4-9 in the deciding tie-break.
Never in doubt 😉
Dan Evans and Andy Murray save five match points to progress in the men's doubles!#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/SJQgVHeOeU
— Team GB (@TeamGB) July 28, 2024
But Murray knows a thing or two about comebacks and, aided by Evans, he conjured another remarkable one, the pair winning seven points in a row to triumph 2-6 7-6 (5) (11/9).
The British pair leapt around the court in delight as they moved through to the last 16 at Roland Garros.
Murray has clearly enjoyed the experience of being part of Team GB again, taking part in the opening ceremony and being a celebrity in the Athletes’ Village, but for a set and a half there was little enjoyable about this match.
He received an enthusiastic welcome when he strode onto Court Suzanne Lenglen, Roland Garros’ second arena, behind Evans but the stands stayed stubbornly half full at best, with the personal significance of the occasion a little lost amid the wider context of the Games.
Murray and Evans had both talked up their chances, and both have had success in doubles in Davis Cup, but they looked from the start like two men not used to playing together or in the format.
Veteran Nishikori, beaten by Jack Draper in the singles earlier, has barely played in recent years and Daniel is a solid but unspectacular singles player, so this could hardly be said to have been a tough draw.
But the Japanese were sharper in every element and won seven games in a row to lead 2-0 in the second set before the British pair finally gained a foothold.
Murray and Evans celebrated every point won with fist pumps and cheers, and they dug in grimly, twice breaking the Nishikori serve to draw level at 4-4.
Murray roared ‘Let’s go’ when he finally held serve for the first time since the opening game to put them within touching distance of a deciding tie-break, which is played instead of a third set at the Olympics.
They duly set up a nail-biting finale by finding some of their best tennis in the second-set breaker but it looked to have got away from them only for Murray and Evans somehow to hang on.
