Defending gold medalist Murray survives another scare, reaches semis

Andy Murray is making tough work of his gold medal defense. But still, it rumbles on.

The British star, ranked No. 2 in the world, advanced to the semifinals of the men's singles tournament Friday at Rio 2016, outlasting American Steve Johnson in a third-set tiebreak.

After blowing Johnson away in the opening set, winning at love, Murray dropped the second stanza before rebounding to win the deciding set, 7-6 (7-2).

The win came one day after Murray required a third-set comeback to defeat Fabio Fognini of Italy.

By virtue of Friday's triumph, the 29-year-old Scot will meet either Kei Nishikori or Gael Monfils in the semifinals as he hopes to retain the gold medal he claimed four years ago in London.

All photos courtesy Action Images.