ANDY MURRAY will not be winning a third straight gold medal in the Olympic Games men’s singles.
The Brit withdrew from the competition just hours before his first round match with Felix Auger Aliassime.
Max Purcell of Australia has stepped in to take his place.
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Why has Andy Murray withdrawn from the Olympic Games singles?
Andy Murray has withdrawn after suffering a right quad strain.
The two-time gold medalist stated that his team advised him not to go ahead with playing in the singles.
However, he added that he would continue in the men’s doubles.
The former world number one said: “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 would have been the underdog had he faced Auger Aliassime in the first round of the singles and was considered a rank outsider for the title.
However, the doubles is likely to represent a better opportunity for him to become the first man to win four Olympic medals since tennis returned to the games in 1988.
Doubles matches are also shorter than singles at the Olympic Games, with a maximum of just two sets being played.
Should the two pairs win a set each, a tie-break decides Olympic matches with the first team to reach ten points winning.
On Saturday, Murray and Joe Salisbury stunned second seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the first round of the doubles tournament.
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