ANDY MURRAY AND DAN EVANS' FIRST OPPONENTS IN PARIS OLYMPICS ARE REVEALED, WITH TENNIS LEGEND FACING OLD RIVAL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE QUARTER-FINAL OF FRENCH OPEN SEVEN YEARS AGO

First round opponents include 37-year-old with 12 career titles and 434 wins
The Scot announced today that he would not be taking part in singles contest
Sir Andy announced this week he was calling time on a heavily successful career

Sir Andy Murray and Dan Evans are set for a tough opening doubles clash against Japanese pair Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori as they aim for gold at the Paris Olympics.

The Team GB duo will face former Olympic bronze medalist and US Open finalist Nishikori with Sir Andy playing against his old rival for the first time since the quarter-final of the French Open seven years ago.

The draw comes after the Scot announced today that he would not be taking part in the singles contest, marking the end of his solo playing career.

The two-time singles gold medallist had entered the 64-man draw which is due to take place at 10am on Thursday.

But Sir Andy has now stated that he will withdraw in order to focus on playing doubles with Evans as he is still not fully fit after undergoing back surgery last month.

The two-time Wimbledon champion has fought it out against Nishikori, 34, 11 times over the course of his career, winning nine times.

The Japanese star has won 12 career titles and an impressive 434 matches but this still pales in comparison with Sir Andy's glittering CV which boasts 46 career titles and 739 wins.

The Scot's biggest match against Nishikori came in the form of a semi-final victory en route to a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sir Andy first played his old rival in 2011 and won his first three games against him.

Team GB teammate Jack Draper will also have to contend with Nishikori's experience during this summer's Olympics having been drawn against the 34-year-old in the first round of the singles.

Meanwhile, Cam Norrie will begin his campaign to earn gold for Britain against Dutch star Tallon Griekspoor and could be set for a second round clash against Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Evans will play against Moez Echargui of Tunisia.

The draw comes after Sir Andy announced on Tuesday that he was calling time on a heavily successful career as he arrived in Paris ahead of his fifth Olympic Games.

Alongside a picture of himself on the podium in Rio, Brazil, in 2016 he wrote: 'Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament @Olympics.

'Competing for Britain has been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I'm extremely proud to get to do it one final time.'

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sir Andy became the first man in history to retain his singles gold medal.

This time around, he forms a strong Team GB roster with Evans, Draper and Norrie, who will all be hoping for a successful campaign which starts this Saturday.

Sir Andy won gold in London 2012 beating Roger Federer in the final and successfully defended his title four years later defeating Juan Martin del Potro.

The 37-year-old, who in 2013 ended a 77-year wait for a British men's singles champion at Wimbledon and won the trophy again in 2016, had previously said that he was unlikely to continue his career beyond this year.

The Scots hero received a star-studded, emotional farewell earlier this month at Wimbledon, the venue where he won two of his three major titles, following a first-round doubles defeat partnering his brother Jamie.

Sir Andy, who had surgery on June 22 to remove a spinal cyst which was compressing his nerves and made him lose control and power in his right leg, decided he was not fit enough for the demands of singles competition at the All England Club.

His hopes of a final hurrah partnering fellow former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in mixed doubles at Wimbledon were dashed when she withdrew due to a wrist issue.

The tennis competition at the Olympics begins on July 27 and Sir Andy, who made his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, will play in both singles and doubles alongside Dan Evans in his fifth and final Games.

He also has a mixed doubles silver from the London Games, where he partnered Laura Robson.

The former world number one resurrected his career after having hip-resurfacing surgery in 2019 but has struggled to make the latter stages of leading tournaments since and endured an ankle injury earlier this season in Miami.

'I'm ready to finish playing,' Sir Andy had said at Wimbledon. 'I don't want that to be the case. I would love to play forever.

'This year's been tough with the ankle, then obviously the back surgery, the hip. I'm ready to finish because I can't play to the level I would want to anymore.

'I know that it's time now. I'm ready for that.'

First Minister John Swinney was quick to heap praise on Sir Andu, who was born in Glasgow and grew up in Dunblane, Stirling, following his announcement.

In a post on X, Mr Swinney thanked the 37-year-old for 'an outstanding and inspiring career which has made a profound impact on so many'.

Sir Andy's mother, Judy, also commented in a post on X: '5th Olympics. Final tournament'.

2024-07-25T10:03:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd