Two-time Olympic champion Andy Murray WITHDRAWS from singles tournament in Tokyo with quad injury hours before first round match with Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime as he plots to focus on doubles medal bid
Early on Sunday, as a few medal hopes went begging, you were better off in Blighty with the duvet pulled up. At that point, it couldn’t get much worse unless one of our shooters blew off their big toe.
Or so we thought until news came in that Sir Andy Murray was ending his participation in the men’s singles a few hours before it should have started.
His gold medal defence had been due to open against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, but the Briton’s well-soldered body, which he has grimacingly carried more miles than his creator intended, had already called time on this assignment. It was a reminder that one of our greatest sportsmen is nearing the end of his career.
Team GB’s Andy Murray has elected to pull out of Olympic men’s singles due to a quad injury
Felix Auger-Aliassime (left) was due to face Murray but now faces Aussie Max Purcell (right)
The first sign of his withdrawal came when the fixture was wiped from the online schedule, before confirmation arrived from the British Olympic Association, with Murray saying: ‘I am really disappointed at having to withdraw but the medical staff advised me against playing in both events.
‘I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the singles and focus on the doubles with Joe (Salisbury).’
So that show stayed on the road after he and Salisbury won their opening match together in style on Saturday. They are due to play Germany’s Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz in the second round tomorrow.
What we can say for certain is that Murray (right) has played his last singles match at any Games. He is 34 now and Paris three years hence will be a feat even beyond his stubborn insistence on turning a deaf ear to his metal hip. So his nine-year reign as Olympic champion is ending.
Murray nursed a quad injury in doubles and medical staff have made him focus on one event
This comes as no great surprise after he suffered his heaviest defeat in 70 matches at Wimbledon earlier this month, hammered by Denis Shapovalov.
Murray even admitted that without his five-year-old daughter Sophia telling him that when you fail ‘to try and try again’, he may not even have journeyed across the world to be here in the Olympic Village.
Actually, perhaps he would. The Olympics have done a great deal to shape and shine his career. His first gold medal followed his loss in the Wimbledon final to Roger Federer, when he broke down in tears during the post-match interview with Sue Barker.
Four weeks later on the same Centre Court in SW19, warmed by the glow of the London 2012 carnival, he beat the Swiss in straight sets. The tears, which had endeared the Scot to a swathe of Middle England, were wiped away in that moment of cathartic delight.
Team GB’s Murray and Joe Salisbury cruised into the second round of the Olympics doubles
Liam Broady is the last British singles player standing and he won his opening match in Tokyo
Broady lost a second set tiebreak but rallied to take victory in a comfortable deciding set
His drought was over and he took the US Open later that year before Wimbledon yielded to him the following season. Rio 2016 sealed his legacy, coming from a second SW19 title and triumphing en route to a brief spell as world No 1.
Since arriving in Tokyo, he has spent a good deal of time at Team GB’s performance lodge, using the gym, its nutritionists and chefs.
But there is a limit to how much conditioning can do when you have slipped to 104 in the world and you are set to play an in-form 20-year-old in sapping heat.
How many more times can the fighter wage his war and prolong his career? Tomorrow he and Salisbury will hope to deliver a twist in the tale. Perhaps it will be the last twist of all.
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