TOKYO: Two-time defending Olympic tennis champion Andy Murray withdrew Sunday from the men’s singles tournament due to a muscle injury, Team GB said in a statement.
Murray, 34, will stay in Tokyo to play doubles with Joe Salisbury. The pair won their opening match of the competition on Saturday.
“I am really disappointed at having to withdraw but the medical staff have advised me against playing in both events, so I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the singles and focus on playing doubles with Joe,” Murray said in a statement.
“The decision follows consultation with medical staff in relation to a quad strain,” it added.
The Scot was scratched from the order of play just hours before he was due to face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first round. He was replaced in the draw by Australia’s Max Purcell.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray is the only player to win two Olympics singles titles. He was bidding for a third successive gold following his victories at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Murray’s career has been blighted by injury in recent years, twice undergoing hip surgery since rising to world number one at the end of 2016.
He recently suffered his earliest Wimbledon exit in 16 years when he was knocked out in the third round by Canada’s Denis Shapovalov.
Murray and Salisbury will play Germany’s Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz for a spot in the Olympic men’s doubles quarter-finals after dumping out French second seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the first round.
Defending champion Murray out of Olympics singles with injury
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Defending champion Murray out of Olympics singles with injury
Real Sociedad edge rivals Athletic to reach Copa del Rey final
- Real Sociedad have now not lost in their last 10 derby clashes at home against Athletic, whom they beat in the 2020 final, and rarely looked like letting their advantage slip
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain: Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home a late penalty to fire Real Sociedad into the Copa del Rey final with a 1-0 win over Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, securing a 2-0 aggregate semifinal triumph.
American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo has turned La Real’s fortunes around since arriving in December and his side will face Atletico Madrid in the Seville final on April 18, after they ousted Barcelona.
Already holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg at Athletic’s San Mames, Real Sociedad produced a sturdy display at the Reale Arena to knock out the 24-time winners.
“Very proud of what the boys have done, over the past two months, it’s pretty amazing,” said Matarazzo.
“Our first match was on the fourth of January... and we just reached the cup final.
“The football we’re playing is effective and we want to continue... we’re in the final and we want to win it.”
Real Sociedad have now not lost in their last 10 derby clashes at home against Athletic, whom they beat in the 2020 final, and rarely looked like letting their advantage slip.
“I think having the one goal advantage helped, we managed the tempo well,” Real Sociedad defender Jon Martin told Movistar.
“We didn’t want a lot to happen, and we did well.”
La Real had the better of a tense first half, with Carlos Soler coming closest. The midfielder’s free-kick, flying toward the top corner, was tipped over by Athletic goalkeeper Alex Padilla.
Matarazzo’s team had more of the ball and forced the visitors back, albeit without carving out many more openings.
Athletic defender Aitor Paredes made a last-ditch block to keep former Valencia midfielder Soler at bay, and Goncalo Guedes drilled into the side-netting.
Ernesto Valverde’s side improved in the second half and began to threaten La Real, again without finding a clear sight of goal.
Alejandro Berenguer fizzed a shot wide after Inaki Williams fed him on the edge of the box.
Los Leones were missing dangerous Spanish winger Nico Williams, who is sidelined indefinitely with a groin problem.
Oyarzabal seals it
The match was decided from the penalty spot when Athletic’s Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta grabbed a fistful of Yangel Herrera’s shirt as he tried to jump in the box.
After a VAR review the referee awarded a spot-kick and Spain striker Oyarzabal coolly sent Padilla the wrong way in the 87th minute.
Mikel Vesga might have levelled on the night for Athletic in stoppage time as they pushed forward with urgency but Real Sociedad stopper Unai Marrero saved well with his leg to help book his team’s flight to Andalusia.
“It was a hard-fought game, a Basque derby,” said Valverde.
“We had a clear chance at the end, we could have got back into the game but it wasn’t to be.”
Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson could have extended La Real’s lead at the death but nodded against the post, although it did not matter in the end.
“It feels terrible, it’s a shame, we wanted to reach that final in Seville, I don’t even know what to say,” Athletic striker Williams told Movistar.
“(For the penalty) there’s that kind of grabbing in every box, every corner, and it’s very difficult (to take).”
