Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares win Monte Carlo Masters epic
Tuesday 12 April 2016 21:56, UK
Jamie Murray enjoyed a winning start to life as the world's number one doubles player as he and partner Bruno Soares won an epic battle at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Murray and Soares were up against Daniel Nestor and Radek Stepanek, the same pair they beat in the Australian Open final in January, and Murray came through again, this time winning 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (11-9) 14-12.
His triumph in Melbourne, as well as two Grand Slam doubles finals last year, propelled Murray to take top spot in the doubles rankings last month. He is the first Briton to do so since Virginia Wade in 1973.
Nestor and Stepanek boast a combined age of 80 and have won 106 doubles titles between them but the experienced duo wasted three match points as Murray and Soares sneaked through.
The match finished on a slightly sour note as Murray and Soares spent almost five minutes complaining to the umpire about a ball they felt he had failed to call out.
Murray and Soares asked the umpire to inspect the mark, with Murray saying: "Umpires always do it, I see it every week on TV".
Murray then asked his coaching team in the crowd about the rules for doing so.
The decision stood but the interruption may have disturbed the concentration of Nestor, who immediately served a double fault before Murray and Soares closed out a dramatic victory to book their place in the third round.
