In a thrilling display of resilience, Andy Murray and Dan Evans saved five match points to secure a win in their Olympics men’s doubles opener. The British duo triumphed over Japan’s Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori with a final score of 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 11-9.
Murray, 37, recently announced that the Paris Games would mark his final tournament before retirement. However, his career’s conclusion was momentarily postponed thanks to this incredible comeback. Murray admitted their level of play earlier in the match did not suggest such a recovery, stating, “Certainly from my side I felt I was not playing well. Evo played well at times, but for both of us we could play much better. It all clicked at the end.”
The match reached a dramatic climax as the pair trailed 9-4 in the deciding tie-break. However, they managed to save five match points and clinched victory when Daniel netted on the Britons’ first match point. Their astonished reactions mirrored the disbelief of spectators, including Murray’s mother, Judy, who confessed she was considering flight options home before the miraculous turnaround.
Looking ahead, Murray and Evans await their second-round opponents, to be determined from the match between French eighth seeds Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert, and Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen. The winners will face the British team, who now carry forward the momentum of their remarkable escape act.
