Andy Murray could not stop himself from bursting into tears after helping Team GB into the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles at the Olympics. The 37-year-old, who will officially retire from tennis after the Games, was forced to dig deep alongside playing partner Dan Evans to beat Belgian duo Joran Vliegen and Sander Gille.
Murray and Evans would have been hoping for an easy ride after saving five match points to beat the Japanese pairing of Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori on Sunday. Instead, they had to save another two match points in a dramatic tiebreak before claiming a 6-3 6-7 victory and a place in the last eight.
It was all too much for Murray, who was reduced to tears after jumping for joy with Evans as they celebrated their latest triumph. He was spotted putting his head in his hands and sobbing in a hugely emotional reaction after doing it the hard way once again.
Murray and Evans made a fast start to proceedings with an early break to put themselves in control of the first set. Spurred on by the British fans, they claimed the first set after 43 minutes but found things more difficult in the second as Vliegen and Gille came out swinging.
The momentum shifted yet again as Murray and Evans dug deep to force a decisive 10-point tiebreak. They were staring defeat in the face on two occasions but saved both match points before getting it done themselves at the third time of asking, with Evans volleying the decisive shot over the net.
Annabel Croft was left delighted by the British duo’s latest victory and suggested after the match that anything was possible in their search for an Olympic medal.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, she said: “I think anything is possible at this stage. It is a possibility for Andy Murray and Dan Evans to get a medal. Murray is playing way better tennis than we saw at Wimbledon.
“Even in the first round they looked like a transformed team today. The pair of them look energised, like they are gelling together, they have chemistry out there and they are just loving it.”