Something strange is happening here. Maybe it really should be something predictable, since Andy Murray is involved.
The mood surrounding the participation of one of Britain’s greatest sportsmen in the final tournament of his legendary professional career no longer resembles a deathbed vigil.
Instead, there was a mild disbelief that Murray could actually do something that would rank among his greatest achievements: win another Olympic medal.
He and partner Dan Evans are in the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles at these Games, after an incredibly exciting battle on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
No one expected anything to match the drama of their amazing first-round escape, but Murray and Evans made us all look fools.
Andy Murray and Dan Evans have reached the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles in Paris
The British duo had to save two match points to beat their Belgian opponents in a tiebreak
It looked like the couple were heading for the exit before they kept themselves in the competition
Murray raises his fist during a thrilling doubles match at Roland Garros on Tuesday night
Murray slumped in his chair and looked emotional after a second dramatic match
After the Belgian duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen ended up in a final tiebreak set, they managed to save two match points and advanced to the last eight.
As Evans hit the final smash to secure victory, Murray danced and jumped around the court like a kid who has just been told he is going to Disneyland.
A month after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst in his spine, the man with the metal hip could actually win a medal.
Why should we limit him? He might win a gold medal, to go with the two singles gongs he already has from London and Rio de Janeiro. If anyone embodies the idea of no limits, it is the bionic 37-year-old superhero from Britain.
The Belgians were no wimps. This is a specialist duo who reached the final of the French Open on these red clay courts last year, but Murray and Evans forced them to pass them.
In the quarterfinals they will play against the American third seeds Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul or against the Dutch duo Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer.
Unlike the first round, the Brits started well. Evans saved two break points against his serve in the opening game and in the second game Murray drove an angled volley almost into the front row of the stands to win the point and help him and Evans break on the first chance.
When Murray put the pair 3-0 up with a stunning topspin lob, it brought back memories of one of his finest moments when he used the same stroke, from the backhand side, to win the Davis Cup for Great Britain in 2015.
Murray and Evans were ruthless in the first set, which they won 6-3 against their opponents
However, frustration set in when their Belgian opponents got back into the game
The Brits played a very different kind of tennis to the uncertain, inconsistent fare they served up in their brilliant escape against Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel on Sunday, with Murray hitting an ace to take a 5-2 lead.
Evans survived another break point on his serve as he and Murray fought to decide the set. When a Belgian return went long, giving them the point they needed, the Brits punched the air in unison.
With the second set tied at 2-2, Evans chased a shot he shouldn’t have reached and threw a lob that Gille mishit, giving the Brits their first break of service. The Belgians, however, decided the match and kept up the pressure.
It looked like they were closing in on victory in the ninth game of the set when Vliegen’s wild forehand gave Evans and Murray another glimpse of a break. Evans’s superb passing shot gave them a break point, but Vliegen saved it with an ace. The Belgians also saved a second break point to take a 5-4 lead.
The Belgian duo led the match until a tiebreak, but narrowly missed out
Murray signs autographs for fans after another dramatic victory in the men’s doubles
Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz could meet the British duo if they win their match against Dutch duo Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer
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The set went into a tiebreak that went one way and then the other. Murray and Evans had match point, but the Belgians saved it. Vliegen and Gille had set point, but the British duo saved it.
The British still had a match point. Belgium saved it with a mis-hit volley. And when the Belgians had a second set point, Evans double-faulted to send the match into a deciding first-to-10 tiebreak set.
It looked like the Belgians would decide the match when they took a 9-7 lead, but Murray and Evans scored four points in a row to win.
The obituaries are on hold again. The incredible journey continues.