He’s done it again! Andy Murray and his partner Dan Evans saved two match points in the deciding super tie-break to march on into the quarter-finals of the Olympic doubles event.
In an echo of their previous impossible escape – in which they saved five match points against Japan’s Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori last Sunday – Evans and Murray leapt up and down on the court like a pair of toddlers after too much lemonade.
Then Murray sat down on his bench and wept. “It’s unbelievably emotional,” he explained afterwards, in his incongruously monotone voice. “You’re unbelievably happy and then for whatever reason, I don’t know why but … happy tears.
“Happy, exciting that we managed to get through another amazing finish. It takes a lot out of you so I’m grateful for a day off tomorrow.”
Murray’s last-ditch defiance continues to drag out the final act of his tennis career, with this latest gritty display delivering an unexpected victory against Belgian doubles specialists Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen.
If anything, the celebrations were even more intense this time, once Evans had buried a smash to conclude the 6-3, 6-7 (8), (11/9) win in the super tie-break. Remember, they don’t play full deciding sets in the Olympic doubles events.
It seems that Murray’s feted career is fated to roll on deep into this event, giving him one last week of massive endorphin rushes before he is forced to come to terms with life as a civilian.
And he has shown the most extraordinary resilience to fight through these two see-sawing matches despite all the injuries: the bionic hip, the wonky ankle and the post-surgical back.
“What happened was incredible,” said Evans. “We’re getting really close to doing something pretty special. I don’t think he wants to go home, does he? He’s amazing to play with and it’s an amazing atmosphere. Everything from the lodge, the village, Team GB … I’m over the moon that I’m here.”
The British pair were much faster out of the blocks in this match than they had been against Nishikori and Daniel in the previous round. Then, they didn’t really wake up until they were staring over the precipice. Whereas, this time, they each struck clean winners on their first return of serve and thus broke Vliegen at the very first opportunity.
As it turned out, that was to be the only break of serve in the entire match, which played out with a lot of short, sharp rallies and few eye-catching points.
It all looked comfortable enough when Murray and Evans had held match points of their own in the second-set tie-break. Had they wrapped those up, they would have had a routine straight-sets win rather than this latest rollercoaster effort.
The second of those match points, which came at 8-7 in the second-set tie-break, was a real sickener. Returning Vliegen’s lefty serve, Murray pinged a backhand up the line, only for Gille to flap wildly at the ball and somehow send it deep down the middle.
He knew almost nothing about what had happened, because the contact had been made with the frame rather than the strings, and the shot made a nasty sound – not the rich carrot snap of a middled volley but a sort of broken twig noise.
Gille made a brief apology, as players do in these circumstances, but that didn’t do much to ease the pain. In the circumstances, it would have been easy for the British pair to look up at the sky and say “This isn’t our night!” Instead, they steeled themselves for one last push through the super tie-break.
The Belgian team are highly esteemed within the doubles world but they are not used to being front and centre in this way, amid all the focus on Murray’s career conclusion.
This may have been the explanation for an erratic display, especially from Vliegen, who at one stage hit one of the shonkiest drive volleys you will ever see into the first row of seating.
On the British side, Evans held things together well throughout the first set and a half but began to show signs of strain in that second-set tie-break. Of the ten points that the Belgians claimed, three of them were donated via double-faults, and two of those were down to Evans.
This latest victory, like the last, extends Murray’s career by at least 48 hours. Their next opponents will come from Wednesday’s second-round meeting between two high-ranked American singles players – Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz – and the Dutch doubles players Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer.
As it happens, Murray is close to those two Dutchmen. Rojer used to live near him when he had a flat in Miami, and was one of the few tennis players invited to his wedding, while Haase was also born in 1987 and was in the same catchment of juniors.
As for the Americans, Fritz faces a difficult schedule on Wednesday when he is due to perform in the singles, the men’s doubles and the mixed doubles. Should he make it through all three matches, he might find himself running on empty by the time he faces the Britons on Thursday evening.
“The next match is important,” said Murray. “If we can get through that one then you have a couple of chances to get a medal. I lost in Tokyo [in the quarter-finals] with Joe [Salisbury] from a set and break up and playing extremely well. The way the scoring works in doubles and the way the teams play the margins are so fine now but we definitely have a chance of making it to the semis.”
Murray/Evans vs Gille/Vliegen: As it happened . . .
10:22 PM BST
Andy Murray speaks to the BBC – ‘If we combine like that we’ll be tough to beat’
On the victory…
“Tonight we deserved to win, in the first round we were lucky – tonight if it had gone the other way it would have been unfortunate. We were playing well and had lots of chances. We played every point and came up with some great returns when we were down in the third set, and we served it out really well. But we left it too close to comfort.”
On the improvement from the first-round win…
“It was way better than the first match, certainly from my side – there were nerves and I didn’t serve well at all. Today from my side I was much happier with how I served and we gave them few chances with the return.”
On what’s to come…
“If we can combine like that we will be tough to beat and obviously winning matches like that builds confidence. The opponents will see that we have been coming back and that really helps.”
10:18 PM BST
What it means to Murray
10:11 PM BST
Special mention for Dan Evans
This being the ‘Andy Murray Farewell Tour’ the focus is, understandably, on him. But it was Evans who drove the pair to victory this evening and having endured a tough year, a lot of the praise should be sent in his direction.
09:49 PM BST
So who’s up next for the duo that always produces drama?
It will either be the third-seeded American pairing of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul (both top-13 players in the singles world rankings) or the veteran Dutch duo of Robin Haase and the ancient (he’s 42 which in sporting terms is well into the winter of one’s career…) Jean-Julien Rojer.
09:44 PM BST
Check what pure joy looks like
This pic could also be placed next to: elation, utter relief, happiness, delight, victorious etc etc in the dictionary.
09:35 PM BST
That’s seven (yes, seven) match points
Saved by Murray and Evans in Paris this week.
They’re doing it the hard way, but it makes for great, tense, entertainment.
However, some fans may prefer fewer hide-behind-the-sofa-I-cannot-bear-to-watch moments in the quarter-final…
09:30 PM BST
Once again they’ve controlled the passion
To get through and Murray looks emotional out there. It’s not hard to see why.
That was tense to blog, let alone play…
09:29 PM BST
Murray and Evans win super tie-breaker 11-9
Gille to serve, and it’s Evans’ turn to unleash a fearsome forehand that forces the error…
Match point to Evans and Murray…
And Evans produces an emphatic smash to win it!
THEY LIVE TO SEE YET ANOTHER DAY!
09:27 PM BST
Super tie-breaker: Murray/Evans 9-9 Gille/Vliegen (first to 10, by two clear points)
So tense as the Belgians send a forehand wide – 7-8
Evans to serve, its deep but it’s a fine return and the Belgians have two match points…
Last point for Murray?
NO – it’s now 8-9…
Can they survive again?
Gille to serve, and Murray unleashes a fantastic forehand and it’s 9-9
That’s now seven match points they’ve saved in their two matches…
09:24 PM BST
Super tie-breaker: Murray/Evans 6-8 Gille/Vliegen (first to 10, by two clear points)
Impetus goes back to the Britons after a missed volley from their opponents – 6-5
Murray serves, but he’s on the back foot this point and end hitting it into the net – 6-6
Murray to serve again, he goes long with his first attempt before coming into the net off his second, but Vliegen is up to it and forces the error from Evans – 6-7
Vliegen to serve, and he buries a forehand after Evans’ weak return – 6-8
How long left in Murray’s career now??
09:20 PM BST
Super tie-breaker: Murray/Evans 5-5 Gille/Vliegen (first to 10, by two clear points)
Another Murray mistake and its now… – 3-3
Vliegan serves brilliantly and Evans can only send his backhand return wide – 3-4
Evans to serve and he does brilliantly, it’s deep and forces the error – 4-4
Evans to serve again, this time he hits it to Vleigen’s forehand, it’s not deep enough and the Belgian makes him pay – 4-5
Gille to serve, he misses his first attempt and then hits into the net following up his second – 5-5
Squeaky-bum time…
09:17 PM BST
Super tie-breaker: Murray/Evans 3-2 Gille/Vliegen (first to 10, by two clear points)
Evans to serve first and, thankfully, after those double faults he gets his first serve in to take a 1-0 lead.
Gille then goes for the Belgians and Murray goes long with the return – 1-1.
The Britons then keep the ball in play long enough to force a Gille error – 2-1
Murray then comes in off his serve before ultimately leaving a groundstroke from Gille that, thankfully, goes long – 3-1.
Murray hits a backhand into the net. Tense – 3-2
09:13 PM BST
Penny for their thoughts…
…as they head to yet another edge-of-your-seats super tie-breaker.
09:11 PM BST
Match heading to a super tie-break
Murray is furious at a line call that gifts the Belgians their second set point. Evans to serve…
He misses his first serve before a let allows him a second second serve. Proper squeaky-bum time this…but it’s another double fault and once again Murray and Evans are heading to a super tie-break…
The Belgians stole that set.
09:07 PM BST
Second-set tiebreak: Murray/Evans* 6-3, 6-6, 8-8 Gille/Vliegen
Evans and Murray get the early advantage powering 2-0 ahead. But an Evans double fault (his second of the night) gifts the Belgians a chance to get back into this. But Vliegen goes too early and Murray doesn’t look this gift horse in the mouth producing a forehand winner into the space the Belgian had vacated.
At 3-2 Murray serves, an opportunity to get some clear-blue water between them and their opponents. BUT another double fault isn’t in the script and the lead the Britons held has been erased.
Brilliant groundstrokes from Gille then give the Belgian duo the mini break and the advantage. But they hand it right back to Murray and Evans (everyone is blinking now…). Gille then changes direction on the second serve and it’s 5-4 to the Belgians with Evans to serve…
Sharp hands and reactions from Murray is what the doctor ordered and it’s 5-5.
It’s then match point to the Britons following a cute, deep volley from Evans that forces the error. Can they make this count?
Not initially as the Belgians shoe sharp reactions at the net to make it six-apiece…
A wayward (as in very wild) Evans backhand then gifts the Belgians a set point…
Murray to serve – his first serve is out, but it’s the Belgians turn to send a groundstroke wide. 7-7…
A second match point for the Britons after yet another Belgian mistake, a Vliegen forehand into the net.
Can they make this one count? ‘Nope’ a Gille mishit flumoxes Evans and it’s now 8-8…
08:54 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 6-3 6-6 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
Murray to serve and Vliegan opens up with his best return of the match, a shot that dips right at the Scot’s feet. But Murray responds with a fine forehand and then an ace to get it to 30-15, which soon becomes 40-15 as he charges the net forcing the error from Gille. Another good serve from Murray forces another error and we’re heading to a second-set tiebreak.
08:50 PM BST
Murray/Evans 6-3 5-6 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
The Belgians’ serves have got better as the match has gone on. We’ve race through this second set and they hold to love.
Looks as though we’re going to have a second-set tiebreak…unless…
08:49 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 6-3 5-5 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
Great hands from Murray at the net gets the British pair to 30-0, sharp and so good to watch – who does love quick volleys at the net when facing missiles from the opponents?
I’ve said this a lot so far, and I’ll say it again – Evans has been impressive this evening and he holds his serve to love.
Who is going to blink first?
08:45 PM BST
Turning point?
A great hold from the Belgian pair and that could be a turning point. Vliegan has been the weak link thus far, showing a lot of nerves, but he found two fine serves on break point down: the first an ace out wide and the second curling so far out of court that Murray ended up in the geranium display.
08:44 PM BST
Murray/Evans 6-3 4-5 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
Evans sends a message first point of this game with another fine volleyed winner. He very nearly backs that up with a lob that it just long. There was a lot of space behind the Belgians and, perhaps, he didn’t need to flirt too much with the line…
The British pair then get it to 15-30 thanks to a miss from their opponents, can they kick on from here? ‘Nope’ is the initial answer as Vliegan gets his first serves in and Gille is sharp at the net to get it to 40-30.
But then vintage Murray turns up to produce a lovely, crisp forehand winner off a second serve. It’s deuce…
Evans then serves up a delightful forehand winner of his own and the Britons have a break point…that lasts all of three seconds and Vliegan dishes up an ace to Murray’s backhand. They then have their second break point of the game thanks (again) to Evans’ energy. But that, too, is quickly squashed.
From their the Belgians extricate themselves from that to lead 5-4. Evans will serve to keep the British pair in this set.
08:37 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 6-3 4-4 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
Great volleying from Vliegen at the net illustrates that this set is a very different proposition for Murray and Evans than the first. The Belgians are more energetic and the match is a contest as a result. But Murray’s serving is on point in this game and he holds to 15.
Who will blink first?
08:33 PM BST
Murray/Evans 6-3 3-4 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
Gille to serve and he starts with a great body serve to give him the early advantage. They are looking more impressive this half, sharper with their groundstrokes and at the net. But I type that and Gille misses with a wild forehand that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a public court in a park. Evans then threads the needle with a wonderful forehand return down the line. Murray cannot, however, back him up and the Belgians hold once again.
I wrote this last game and will write it again now…big game coming up.
08:29 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 6-3 3-3 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
The Belgians win a point at the net – not written that much this evening – another sign the momentum is slightly shifting? Evans clearly knew I was writing that has he then finds two good serves to get it to 40-15 before the British defence at the net earns then the hold.
Big game, you suspect, coming up…
08:26 PM BST
Murray needs to find another gear
Evans’s performance continues to thrill but he’s not getting a whole lot of support from his partner, as Murray misses a series of groundstrokes in the early part of set two. Mr Bionic Hip needs to rediscover some rhythm or the momentum could swing the other way. On the upside, it’s slightly less sweaty in here right now. There’s even a trace of a breeze.
08:24 PM BST
Murray/Evans 6-3 2-3 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
Is momentum starting to move to the Belgians? It’s another strong service game as they hold to 15. This is a far more competitive set and already had the feel of ‘who blinks first’ loses…
08:21 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 6-3 2-2 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
Murray to serve and as with the other previous three service games this set, he dominates, holding to love. The Belgians haven’t returned at all well today (unlike the Japanese duo two days ago) and that could well prove to be crucial…
08:18 PM BST
Murray/Evans 6-3 1-2 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
Gille holds his serve to love. Strong hold as the Belgians are starting to rattle through their service games a bit quciker as they try to wrestle control of this match from the British pair.
08:16 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 6-3 1-1 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
Evans is all action at the moment. This is a good service game from him, volleying a winner first point and putting pressure on the Belgian duo by getting his first serves in the next two points. He holds to love. Emphatic and impressive serving from Evans.
08:13 PM BST
Murray/Evans 6-3 0-1 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
The Belgians don’t look the most lively pair and it’s Evans and Murray who are bringing all the energy to this contest. Vliegan is under pressure on his serve here but battles back to earn a much-needed game. Good hold.
08:11 PM BST
Great first set for the Britons
08:10 PM BST
Murray and Evans are dominating
What a contrast with Sunday night as the British pair start quickly and with intent. The sluggishness that marred their previous performance was completely absent as they volleyed decisively and kept the Belgian doubles specialists guessing. One more set for a place in the quarter-finals.
08:08 PM BST
Murray and Evans take first set 6-3
The British pair have been sharper in every department but no sooner do I type that than the Belgians get the score in this game to 30 all having been 30-0 down. Big serve from Evans coming up and he gets it in but it’s an extraordinary return from Vliegan for a winner that clips the net. Break point for the Belgians, which Evans saves by going to Gille’s forehand, the right-hander finding the net with his return.
Two rapid-fire volleys from Murray then gives GB the advantage and and set point. But the first double fault from Evans gets it back to deuce. But the first set is duly won and Evans and Murray and well in control and halfway (hopefully) to the last eight.
08:01 PM BST
Murray/Evans 5-3 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
Evans is all over the court and a right livewire at the net, he plays his umpteenth volleyed winner to get this game to 15-all. Gilles, though, holds his nerve and serves well to earn the Belgians two service points. Evans once again is effervescent and volleys well once again but it’s not enough to prevent his opponents holding serve.
Evans will now serve for the first set.
07:56 PM BST
Dan Evans the star of the show (so far)
Super start from the British pair and Dan Evans has been everywhere on the court. Evans has wonderfully soft hands on the volley, in the same way that Tim Henman once did, and he has been the best player in this contest so far.
07:56 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 5-2 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
It’s Murray’s serve and once again Evans is brilliant at the net. But anything he can do Murray can also do as he comes in off his serve before showing soft hands and volleying a wonderful winner to get the score to 30-0. That soon becomes 40-0 and the game is ultimately wrapped up to 15.
07:52 PM BST
Murray/Evans 4-2 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
Vliegen’s service game and once again the Britons target Gille at the net, an Evans exocet nearly cutting the Belgian in half. But the Belgians hold their nerve and their serve.
07:47 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 4-1 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
This already has a different feel to their first-round match. They were chasing throughout against the Japanese pair but have been on the front foot since game one here. Evans’s second service game is impressive and he and Murray hold to love, and they have a commanding lead.
07:46 PM BST
Murray/Evans 3-1 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
Much-needed hold for the Belgians who do so to 15.
07:42 PM BST
Belgians ‘capable of getting themselves into trouble’
I’ve been canvassing a doubles specialist about the Belgians and this is what came back: “Very good pair, and they like clay. Vliegen is lefty, very talented. Very good serve, can hit all spots from and formation, a little underpowered from the back. Gilles hits a big, heavy ball from the back. If he has time he can really rip it. Has huge swings though so you can rush him. They can beat any pair in the world on their day. Their main issue is that they both have big concentration lapses. Are capable of dropping serve with terrible games and getting themselves in trouble.”
07:41 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 3-0 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
Murray to serve and he’s under early pressure at 0-30. The Belgians target the Scot at the net, which is interesting. A forehand smash which is the dictionary definition of the word ‘emphatic’ by Evans gets it back to 30 all. Both the Britons are looking good at the net and a pair of good volleys earn’s Murray a service point which he does not pass up, winning the game with what looked like a speculative forehand defensive lob.
Already Murray and Evans are looking miles better than they did two days ago.
07:36 PM BST
Murray/Evans 2-0 Gille/Vliegen* (*denotes server)
A great forehand return down the line from Murray gets the Britons to 0-30. That becomes 0-40 when Murray does brilliantly to get to a drop volley and then force the error from the Belgian pair. Three break points with which to get the early advantage. The early break does indeed come thanks to a great lob from Evans.
They needed a good returning game and to start well – two ticks next to both boxes.
07:32 PM BST
Murray/Evans* 1-0 Gille/Vliegen (*denotes server)
Early pressure on the Evans serve as the Belgians go 0-30 up. The Briton maintains his composure to get it back to 30-30, but then a long half-volley gifts Gille and Vliegan the early break point. Evans and Murray save that point before a poor volley by Murray (it goes well long with half the court at his mercy) gives the Belgians a second bite of the cherry. This time Murray and Evans are great at the net, both volleying well to get this opening game back to deuce.
From there they make no mistake and the Britons are up and running.
They started badly two days ago and need to avoid that today…so decent enough start.
07:24 PM BST
Murray and Evans to serve first
And here we go…
07:24 PM BST
The players are out on the court
And we’re not far away from the start of what could be Murray’s final match.
There are several empty seats, clearly the Parisians aren’t too bothered by the Scot’s possible farewell…
As on Sunday night, it’s a quite empty Court Suzanne Lenglen that welcomes Murray and Evans on stage. Every seat was filled for Nadal and Alcaraz, the Spanish pair who just sneaked through to the quarter-finals via a super tie-break. But most of the fans have left and I’d be surprised if they dragged themselves back into this offensively sweaty arena. Still, the remaining 3,000 or so (in a 10,000 seater) include a lot of excited Britons with Union Jacks. Evans was enthusiastic about the support that these two received on Sunday, even if it was a case of quality more than quantity.
08:38 AM BST
Preview: Once more unto the brink?
By Rob Bagchi
Good evening and welcome to the second round men’s doubles match between Team GB’s Andy Murray & Dan Evans and the similarly unseeded Belgian pair of Sander Gillé & Joran Vliegen. In Sunday’s first round Murray stuck to the habit of a lifetime by taking his legion of fans and wellwishers on a melodramatic rollercoaster from the brink of abject defeat to a stirring revival alongside the pugnacious Evans to beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel via a super-breaker in which they defended five successive match points. Gillé and Vliegen, an established pair who have been playing together for 11 years and, rather ominously, were runners-up at the French Open last year and won on clay at Monte Carlo in April, knocked out France’s No 8 seeds Arthur Fils and Ugo (Humbert) Humbert in far more straightforward fashion, 7-5, 6-4.
On Sunday Murray raged against the dying of the light but his retirement is not just on the horizon but enveloping his shoulders like a cloak with every point given he has stated that this is the final stage of the long goodbye. They have practised a lot together but Murray hopes the more they find the groove of their partnership in the greenhouse of competition, as they did on the threshold of a swift first-round exit, the fewer errors they will make. “Hopefully if we can get a bit more consistency and do the things we did well at the end of the second set,” Murray said, “I think we can play a lot better than that.”
Evans, who felt wiped out after his comprehensive defeat in the singles on Monday by Stefanos Tsitsipas, was riled by the Greek’s supporters in the crowd and in his box, but is sure he will be refreshed for this evening’s match. “It wasn’t that good really,” he said.
“Dealing with clowns at the side of the court. His brother, his team, just slap their heads together. He’s an amazing tennis player, his best surface. It was a quick turnaround and it was just too much today. I played too much tennis yesterday. My back is pretty sore but it’s just a lot of tennis and I’m pretty tired… I’ll be fine tomorrow.”
Source Agencies
