Andy Murray resumes his Olympics campaign as he writes a remarkable final chapter to his career at Paris 2024 with doubles partner Dan Evans.
Team GB are now in the quarter-finals following two breathtaking victories over Japanese duo Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori and Belgian duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen. They take on Team USA’s Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, looking to create more memories, with victory able to secure a bronze medal match at least.
“It was unbelievably emotional,” said Murray after victory over Gille and Vliegen. “You’re unbelievably happy and then for whatever reason, I don’t know why, but happy tears. I was really emotional at the end of the match, extremely happy, excited that we managed to get through another amazing finish.”
Elsewhere in the tennis, Carlos Alcaraz is through to the men’s singles semi-finals after beating Tommy Paul, who returns to action later against Murray and Evans, while Iga Swiatek was stunned in the women’s semi-finals by China’s Qinwen Zheng.
Katie Boulter and Heather Watson were beaten in the women’s doubles by Italy’s Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.
Follow live updates from Roland Garros and the latest tennis scores and results:
Olympics – tennis: Andy Murray set for doubles quarter-finals
An ace for Ruud puts him back in front but he’d really have rathered it came one serve back – that would have been the set.
No matter: the Norwegian shows a brilliant, gutsy, energetic side to his game to win the longest rally in quite some time, fighting back more than once to finally find a backhander into the corner and it’s one set apiece!
Murray and Evans must continue to wait.
Karl Matchett1 August 2024 18:08
Olympics – tennis: Andy Murray set for doubles quarter-finals
And he gives the point back! A forehand clips the net and bounces up …and down on the wrong side of the court as far as the No6 seed is concerned.
5-4 to Auger-Aliassime who is back in control and…immediately double-faults on his first serve.
Pressure really getting to both perhaps!
A fizzing long one from Ruud clears the baseline for 6-5 and it’s match point…but Ruud’s own serve up now. Needs to hold both this time.
He just about wins the first with both players really looking nervy, an error of judgement it seems from the Canadian this time; much more routine for him to go 7-6 up, ahead in the tie break for the first time, as Auger-Aliassime hits the return long.
Pressure transferred back to him as he starts his own service, but he responds with a massive ace for 7-7.
And yet, the consistency has gone: the next serve is returned and Auger-Aliassime hits it wild and long! Set point for Ruud now on his own service: nope. Into the net and on we go at 8-8.
Karl Matchett1 August 2024 18:05
Olympics – tennis: Andy Murray set for doubles quarter-finals
Ruud keeps himself in touch with two brief services, winning both, then it’s back to Auger-Aliassime, who has the match in his own hands at this point.
Not for long though – brilliant passing winner from Ruud to win back a point, gambling early that Auger-Aliassime would go across court to his forehand.
Next he tries a drifting drop shot to catch his opponent behind the baseline…but it doesn’t quite have the height to clear the net. 4-3 to Auger-Aliassime and Ruud’s back on service.
Karl Matchett1 August 2024 17:58
Olympics – tennis: Andy Murray set for doubles quarter-finals
Much better service game from the Canadian this time and he levels up for 6-6.
Onto a tie-breaker we go!
Auger-Aliassime keeps the momentum going and takes the first point. A huge serve is too wide for Ruud to reach cleanly and it’s a two-point lead, then thinks he has an ace – it’s just out though. Again that powerful forehand is on show though to keep his Norwegian opponent running wide and it’s a 3-0 tiebreak lead.
Karl Matchett1 August 2024 17:55
Olympics – tennis: Andy Murray set for doubles quarter-finals
Casper Ruud takes the game after a back-and-forth struggle – a huge one for him to hold his own serve in.
Minutes later and two fantastic forehand passing shots have him ahead in the set and looking to level matters up.
Auger-Aliassime has just lost his composure a little here and needs to reset himself.
Karl Matchett1 August 2024 17:51
Olympics – tennis: Andy Murray set for doubles quarter-finals
Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul are the No3 seed opponents upcoming for Andy Murray and Dan Evans – straight after Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime finish up their match.
The Canadian won the first set 6-4 and it’s now 4-4- in the second set – with Auger-Aliassime having two break points to put himself clear and within a service game of winning the match.
He’s a little short with a forehand and Ruud saves one break point with a fine shot into the corner, then produces a massive ace to get back to deuce.
Karl Matchett1 August 2024 17:39
Andy Murray cries ‘happy tears’ after another remarkable great escape in Paris
This is what it meant to Murray to make the quarter-finals. Can him and Evans repeat their heroics and get within a chance of a medal?
An emotional Andy Murray continued to write a remarkable final chapter to his career in Paris as he and Dan Evans conjured another dramatic escape to reach the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles.
After the drama of Sunday’s five-match-point-saving comeback to beat Japanese duo Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori, it appeared this would be slightly less nail-biting when they brought up two match points in the second-set tie-break against Belgian duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen.
But instead, Murray and Evans were taken to another match tie-break by last year’s French Open finalists and had to save two more match points before claiming a 6-3 6-7 (8) (11/9) victory and a place in the last eight.
Chris Wilson1 August 2024 17:20
Men’s Singles quarter-finals: Ruud 4-6, 0-1 Auger-Aliassime
The Canadian has taken the first set, and he holds serve in the opening game of set two!
Remember the winner of this match will take on Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final.
Chris Wilson1 August 2024 17:11
Andy Murray summons survivor spirit once again to extend Olympics dream with Dan Evans
And the duo almost repeated their feat in their second game too!
After the yelling and the leaping, the hugging and the sheer disbelief, Andy Murray returned to his seat and acted as if he had found a moment of silence amid the bedlam. Head in his hands, he tried to process the previous minute where his career teetered on the brink and then came roaring back once more, before the tears began. He can’t believe this. Can we? Not a chance. His Olympics show with Dan Evans goes on and the last dance gets another turn. As thrilling as the last time, as fraught with tension, two more match points saved to extend a career by at least two more days.
Because why not? Murray is making up the rules now. When you’ve already saved five match points and seen the end once, you are playing with house money, even if it is potentially the final match of your career.
Murray and Evans summoned the spirit of what they found in that memorable escape in the opening round, first playing as if they had nothing to lose and everything to win, then digging themselves out of trouble again.
Chris Wilson1 August 2024 17:05
Men’s Singles quarter-finals: Ruud 3-5 Auger-Aliassime
The Canadian has got the first break of set one and he’s put himself in a great position here at 5-3 up.
Ruud is serving in game nine but Auger-Aliassime will be serving for the set in the next game.
The only other matches going on at the moment are in the women’s doubles. The AIN pairing of Shnaider and Andreeva are 6-1 up against the Czech duo of Krejcikova and Siniakova, while the Spanish pair of Bucsa and Sorribes are 4-3 up agains Ukraine’s Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok.
Chris Wilson1 August 2024 16:56