Murray not retiring yet after dramatic doubles win in Paris, saving five match points

The Scot is due to retire after Paris, closing the page on a glorious career which included three Grand Slams and two Olympic gold medals

Zuma/Panoramic

Simon Cambers

July 28, 2024

It’s not over yet.

Andy Murray‘s retirement party will be delayed for a couple of days at least after he and Dan Evans produced a miraculous recovery to win their first-round doubles match at the Olympics on Sunday.

The British pair were down and out at a set and 4-2 down and then 9-4 down in the deciding match tiebreak to Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel but as he has done throughout his career, Murray brought the drama and the pair won seven points in a row to clinch an unlikely 2-6, 7-6 (5), 11-9 victory.

37 years old
Metal hip
Recovering from spinal surgery
Playing his final tournament
Five match points down…

Long live @andy_murray 👑 pic.twitter.com/A1GSjLyQvS
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 28, 2024

Obituaries put Away

The obituaries were being written as the 37-year-old Murray, who won three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic gold medals in a glorious career, was well off the pace in the first set and a half on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Having battled yet more injuries to even be at the Olympics, Murray’s serve was broken early in the first set and Evans suffered the same fate as the set slipped away.

Five match points saved

Murray, unable to play singles at Wimbledon or in Paris at the Olympics following back surgery, dropped serve early in the second set and though they broke back, Murray dropped serve again as the Japanese pair led 4-2.

But the Britons then broke Nishikori to level at 4-4 and suddenly Murray and Evans raised their game, holding on to force a tiebreak and then take it 7-5 to level the match.

That meant a match tiebreak – first to 10 points – to decide the winner and when Nishikori and Daniel led 9-4, the Japanese had five match points, with Murray’s career one point from being over.

But a Nishikori double fault let them back in and Evans played two brilliant points as they levelled at 9-9 before going on to win it when Murray’s forehand return down the line forced the error.