Andy Murray sat crying on his chair after he and British partner Dan Evans saved two match points to win a second-round doubles match at the Paris Olympics, extending his career for at least another match.
Murray – who has announced he will retire after the Olympics – and Evans beat the Belgian pair of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-3 6-7 (8-10) 11-9.
Murray and Evans saved five match points in their opening match. Against the Belgians, they trailed 9-7 in the match tiebreaker before winning four straight points.
The 37-year-old was “unbelievably emotional” after the latest win.
“You’re obviously unbelievably happy and then, I don’t know why it happens, it’s like happy tears. I was really emotional at the end of the match,” he said.
“Obviously extremely happy, excited that we managed to get through and another amazing finish so it takes a lot out of you that sort of stuff. I’m glad we get a day off tomorrow.”
Murray and Evans do not yet know who they will play next, with American duo Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul due to play Dutchmen Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer on Wednesday.
But, whichever pair it is, Murray refused to buy into the idea that a medal is somehow written in the stars.
“The margins are so fine, we need to perform at a really high level in a couple of days’ time to go through,” he said.
“But you can’t have that mentality of ‘Oh this is just going to happen now.’ We need to be switched on for the next one and let’s see what happens in a couple of days.”
Murray is a three-time grand slam singles champion and the only tennis player with two Olympic singles golds – from London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.
His first Wimbledon championship, in 2013, made Murray the first man from Britain to win that trophy in 77 years.
Murray has dealt with a series of injuries in the latter stages of his career, including a hip replacement in 2019. Most recently, he needed surgery to remove a cyst from his spine last month.
With PA
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au