Murray survives scare to reach Olympic quarter-finals

Posted: Aug 11, 2016

Defending champion Andy Murray survived a scare to reach the Olympic men’s singles quarter-finals with a 6-1 2-6 6-3 victory over Italian Fabio Fognini.

After a comfortable first set, Britain’s Murray lost eight successive games to go 3-0 down in the third set against world number 40 Fognini.

But the Wimbledon champion turned it round by winning six games in a row to progress.

The world number two will face American Steve Johnson in the last eight.

Murray, who was beaten by Fognini in the Davis Cup in 2014, has stretched his winning run to 15 matches following his French Open final defeat by Novak Djokovic in June.

Nadal and Del Potro progress

World number five Rafael Nadal maintained his bid to regain the Olympic men’s singles crown he won at Beijing 2008 with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory over Frenchman Gilles Simon.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner, 30, had not played since the French Open in May because of a wrist injury but is competing in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, who knocked out world number one Novak Djokovic in the first round, is in the last eight after a 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-2 win over Japan’s Taro Daniel.

“This has been a great tournament, a great week for me already,” Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, said.

“I’m looking forward to go far, trying to fight for one medal. I’m still playing well, but the next round is going to be a really difficult match for me.”

Del Potro will play Spain’s Roberto Bautista-Agut next, while Nadal now faces Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci.