Paris Olympics chiefs unlikely to bend rules for Andy Murray as Team GB star prepares for quarter-final clash
Paris Olympics chiefs are unlikely to bend their rules for Andy Murray this summer
PA
Tennis fans hoping Andy Murray will get a special send-off when he retires at the Paris Olympics are set to be in for disappointment.
The 37-year-old and Dan Evans have won all three of their doubles clashes so far, making the quarter-finals of the competition in the process.
Victory tonight will see the duo close in on Olympic gold, something that seemed highly unlikely just weeks ago.
Murray and Evans are scheduled to face Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz later today, with Team USA out to ruin his farewell party.
Paris Olympics chiefs are unlikely to bend their rules for Andy Murray this summer
PA
Recently, at Wimbledon, Murray was given a special send-off.
Having won the tournament twice, in 2013 and 2016 respectively, everybody came together at SW19 to celebrate an icon of British sport after he'd lost in the doubles alongside Jamie Murray.
When it comes to the Olympics, however, that's unlikely to be the case.
The games don't typically perform such gestures, regardless of how big the name is. Just ask Angelique Kerber.
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Kerber bowed out of the Olympics after a blockbuster 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(6) loss to Qinwen Zheng on Wednesday.
The German, who was competing in her last professional tennis match, won three majors earlier in her career.
But Kerber's retirement was low-key, with the 36-year-old exiting in subdued fashion despite her impressive achievements in the game.
Therefore, it's reasonable to expect the same for Murray. CEO of the International Tennis Federation, Kelly Fairweather, had confirmed before the tournament that a special ceremony wasn't on the cards.
"If you're asking about Paris, we obviously fall under the direction of the IOC, and generally the IOC don't do that for any athlete across the games," she said.
Murray and Evans will be hoping to continue their Olympics dream at Roland Garros tonight.
And Paul has joked that he'd love to play a role in confirming Murray's retirement.
The Team USA star said: "Well hopefully we retire him. He’s one of the best dudes in the locker room and a great guy overall and obviously an unbelievable player and has had an unbelievable career."
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Andy Murray returns to action at the Paris Olympics this evening
PA
He added: "Win or lose it’s going to be sad for me not seeing him on tour anymore.
"Hopefully the British summer we’ll see a bunch of him, hopefully he’ll travel around like Roger. Roger is still everywhere."
Murray has won two Olympic golds in the past.
Andy Murray was given a special send-off at Wimbledon but that's unlikely to happen at the Paris Olympics
PA
He beat Roger Federer for his first back in 2012 before getting the better of Juan Martin del Potro in Rio four years later.
This, however, would be the sweetest of them all.