Even by Andy Murray’s standards, this was something else.
The Briton has made a career out of salvaging apparently hopeless causes — but even as his professional tennis career draws to a close, he is not about to lose the habit of a lifetime at the Paris Olympics.
Sure enough, Murray produced another miraculous comeback alongside Dan Evans in the men’s doubles to save five match points against Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel, ultimately winning the match tiebreak 11-9 and advancing into the second round.
For Murray, who has already confirmed that the Games will be his final tournament after finally conceding defeat in his battles with injuries, it was the latest reminder of his enduring excellence and stubbornness. This farewell may last a little longer than many had expected.
So how did he and Evans do it?
Match point 1: GB* 4-9 Japan
With Nishikori and Daniel securing five match points to close out the match, all seems lost for Murray and Evans on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. But Murray proves that there is at least some life left in him as he thunders down an ace that Daniel cannot get near. This is, in itself, ridiculous: hampered by his ongoing recovery from back surgery, Murray’s serve had been slow and attackable for much of the match.
Match point 2: GB* 5-9 Japan
Murray is still up and, after a let on his first serve, his next effort is met sweetly by Nishikori with a double-handed backhand. It screams past Murray to his left, and the Scot is beaten, but the ball lands out by a matter of inches.
Match point 3: GB 6-9 Japan*
Japan now have two points on serve to get themselves over the line, but the pressure seems to be affecting them.
Nishikori, a vastly experienced 34-year-old who reached the 2014 U.S. Open final and was once ranked No 4 in the world, tightens up. After a let on his first serve, his next attempt curves out down the middle before his second serve goes long. A gift for Murray and Evans, who can sense a comeback.
Match point 4: GB 7-9 Japan*
With anxious faces looking on from their coaches’ box, Nishikori goes for the risk-free approach with his next serve, taking off the pace to land it safely in. Evans tries to loop a high backhand into the back of the court but Daniel reaches it at the net, delivering the ball back to Evans on the baseline. A cross-court forehand from Evans has Nishikori stretching and he can only dump the ball into the net.
Match point 5: GB 8-9 Japan*
This point is all about Evans. He fires in a strong serve, but Daniel loops it over Murray’s head, with the onrushing Evans (who would have been expecting a cross-court return) having to scramble across to cover the space behind his partner.
He opts to strike it on the drive volley — a risky tactic while moving forward and with the match still poised on a knife-edge. It becomes riskier still when he aims down the line, with Daniel the deeper of the Japanese pair (and so having more time to recover the shot).
But he connects sweetly and finds the tramline to restore parity.
GB* 9-9 Japan
By now, the crowd, both sets of players and the millions watching on television know how this one will end.
Evans is up to serve again and fires one towards Nishikori’s backhand, his stronger side. The 34-year-old’s return arcs over Murray at the net and for a second, it has Evans scrambling to try to cover it, but it drops out by a foot.
GB 10-9 Japan*
It falls to Murray, fittingly, to apply the coup de grace.
The Japanese pair set up with Daniel standing on the T to serve, but Nishikori stands in the middle of the service box, rather than towards the middle for an I-formation or ‘Australian formation’. This broadcasts to Murray that Nishikori will likely move across to cover a return, creating a large space to Murray’s left as he looks.
He does exactly that, and Murray hits a deep forehand return into the space vacated by Nishikori.
Daniel slides across the clay to try to deliver it back but to no avail — his effort drops into the net.
While Japan are crestfallen, Murray and Evans can celebrate the most improbable of comeback victories. And they are not finished just yet, with France’s Ugo Humbert and Arthur Fils or Belgium’s Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen up next.
(Top photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
