2020 Tokyo Olympics: Murray and Salisbury narrowly beaten in quarter-finals
• 2 MINUTE READ
Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury exited the men’s doubles event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics following a tight 4-6 7-6 (2) 10-7 loss against Croatian pair Ivan Dodig and Marin Cilic.
The British duo, who were yet to lose a set as a team before today’s contest, appeared to be firmly in control of the tie as they found themselves a set and a break up but the formidable Croatian team fought back and then clinched the deciding tie-break.
Having broken their opponents in the opening set of the match Murray and Salisbury went on to win the opener but after going 6-4, 4-2 up in the match with a break in the fifth game of the second set Cilic and Dodig hit back with a break in the eighth game of the second before levelling the match in a tie-break.
Cilic, a singles Grand Slam champion, and Dodig, who won the 2021 Australian Open men’s doubles title with Slovakia’s Filip Polášek, then showed all of their experience as they combined to beat the Brits 10-7 in the deciding tie-break.
New Zealand pair Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus await Cilic and Dodig in the semi-finals. Daniell and Venus stunned Colombian third seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-3 3-6 10-7 in the quarter-finals.
The winner of the New Zealand-Croatia semi-final will go on to the gold medal match, with the loser entering a bronze medal clash.
Murray – who boasts two singles golds and a silver in mixed doubles – would have had a shot at a record-breaking fourth medal in Olympics tennis had he and Salisbury reached the semi-finals.
No man has picked up four medals since tennis returned to the Games in 1988 although Murray’s compatriot Reginald Doherty did win four medals between 1900 and 1908.
Venus Williams holds the all-time record having won four gold medals and one silver medal.
