Andy Murray and Dan Evans executed a remarkable comeback from five match points down in the opening round of the Olympic men’s doubles, preserving Murray’s career by ultimately overcoming Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel of Japan with a score of 2-6, 7-6 (5), 11-9.
Initially, Murray and Evans found themselves trailing 2-6, 2-4 in a match that seemed set to conclude in just over an hour. However, the British duo staged a comeback, narrowly winning the second-set tie-break to take the contest into a 10-point match tiebreak. Facing five match points down at 4-9, with Murray just a point away from the end of his career, they rallied through seven consecutive points to snatch victory from the brink of defeat.
Murray hailed the win as one of the most impressive comebacks in his career. “It’s probably up there,” he stated. “The way we were playing up to that point didn’t suggest we’d be able to turn it around. I certainly didn’t feel like I was playing well. Evo had flashes of good play, but we both know we can perform better than that. Then, everything just clicked at the end, and we played some really good tennis.”
Even before Murray’s declining physical condition ruled him out of singles competition, he and Evans had prioritized their doubles performance in Paris, aiming to win matches and build momentum in an Olympic draw filled with singles players and unfamiliar partnerships. Their careers have shown that they can play quality doubles, even though their focus on singles leads to inconsistencies in this discipline.
From the outset, however, their performance was subpar. Both players struggled with their returns and decision-making, leading to a series of careless errors. In the critical moments, they found clarity and began to perform well together, drawing energy from the half-full Court Suzanne Lenglen to turn the match around.
“It’s incredible that he pulled it off in doubles,” Evans remarked. “It summarizes who he is; this is his last tournament, and he makes a comeback. I’m always in the changing room saying: ‘Ah, another long one for him,’ and now I’m on the court with him. This is a moment I’ll cherish forever, but it would be amazing if we go on to do something special this week after this.”
Murray recognized his knack for turning matches around from seemingly hopeless situations. “Throughout my career, I’ve reversed many matches that seemed unlikely to win or where people believed I shouldn’t have,” he explained.
“At times, I’ve possessed that mental toughness and strength, which was often questioned early in my career. I take pride in that aspect, having come back from two sets down more than anyone else in the sport.
“I’ve always strived to give my best and figure out ways to triumph, and I definitely couldn’t have achieved this without Evo today. We’re a team out there, and he played a huge part in this.”
Although contemplating his final match hadn’t impacted him mentally beforehand, as the match seemed to slip away and their play faltered, Murray felt increasingly frustrated with how his last tournament was unfolding. However, during the crucial moments of the tie-breaks, he remained laser-focused.
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“In practice over the last week or so, we’ve been playing quite well, and that wasn’t reflected today. But at the end, I wasn’t serving thinking, ‘Oh my God, is this about to be over? What am I going to do?’ My thoughts were clear about where I wanted to return and where I wanted to serve.”
Next, Evans and Murray will clash with either France’s Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert or Belgium’s Sander Gillé and Joran Vliegen on Tuesday. Earlier on Sunday, Evans defeated Moez Echargui in his first-round singles match and is also set to face eighth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in round two, though he seemed uncertain about participating after a significant fall.
When asked if he had ever fought back from five match points down previously, Evans laughed: “No, and I probably never will. If it happens in the next match, I’m out.”
In the meantime, Rafael Nadal has set up a highly anticipated second-round match against Novak Djokovic after overcoming concerns about a thigh injury to defeat Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Having not played against each other since Nadal won on the same court in the quarter-finals of the 2022 French Open, the two will face off for a men’s record-extending 60th match on Monday afternoon.
