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There’s no such thing as a perfect use of time. There’s no way to peer into the future to see the outcome of the script that’s been written for you. But in a way there is. “Andy Murray’s final match of his career was a tough loss to Dan Evans in the Olympic men’s doubles on a half-full court at Roland Garros,” wrote one reporter sitting in the stands at Suzanne Lenglen. “Despite a late rally to force a tiebreak, Murray and Evans, an inexperienced doubles pair, lost in the first round to Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniel, 6-2, 7-6, 10-4,” the draft continued, waiting to be sent out.
It was on the first match point. Then came the next. And the next. Somehow, Murray and Evans saved all five match points and overturned what had already been written about them. Not yet. Not tonight. Instead, Murray will extend his career and play his final tournament at Paris 2024. Together with Evans, the British pair staged one of the most remarkable escapes, winning 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 11-9, a unique scoreline that marks one of the most extraordinary matches of the 37-year-old Murray’s life, even though the match was logically past its end.

We should not have written off Murray, nor should we underestimate a competitor who has built his very existence on determination, perseverance and a never-lose attitude. If anyone knows about the recovery action, it’s Murray. The Scotsman, who has won from two sets down 11 times, more than anyone in the history of tennis, staged another daring escape, albeit on a much smaller scale, except Murray has never played for such a deciding moment. In recent weeks, Murray has accepted that the end is here, that it’s time to retire. Any of his five match points could have been the last of his career.
“I don’t think I’ve ever saved five match points in a row,” Murray said. “It’s almost impossible in singles so I don’t think I’ve ever done it before. I’ve come back from behind so many times in my career in matches that I didn’t think I could win or shouldn’t have won. I’ve also shown some mental toughness and strength that was questioned earlier in my career and I’m really proud of that. I always try to fight to the best of my ability and find a way through. I definitely couldn’t have done it on my own today. As a team, Evo played a part.”

What made the ending even more impressive was that Murray would have been content with it too. He had already said goodbye to Wimbledon, exiting with his brother Jamie after the loss and celebrating his singles career on Centre Court in an emotional send-off. That night at Wimbledon was a make-or-break night. In Paris, with Murray struggling to find the strength in his serve and him and Evans routinely getting beaten in the opening sets, the night seemed to confirm his instincts about finally accepting that the time had come. “I’ll probably be up there in terms of comebacks,” Murray said. “The way I was playing, you wouldn’t have thought I could come back.”
Instead, they decided to play on and postponed the tribute. Murray’s roar and serve improved, and he and Evans had more success at the net. Still physically limited by back surgery to remove a spinal cyst before Wimbledon, Murray demanded a huge effort from Evans, a task made even more difficult by the fact that the 34-year-old had just finished his first singles match two hours earlier. “I can’t believe he did it in doubles. That pretty much sums it up for him,” Evans said. “I’ll never forget it, but it would be great if we can do something really special this week. I didn’t expect to lose. When he hit the ace at 9-6, I really started to believe.”
Murray’s decision to withdraw from the Olympic singles, which he won twice in London and Rio, reflected a desire to retire, understanding his limitations and embracing the Olympic spirit. But this final glimpse of Olympic magic justifies his desire to continue. Their next opponents will be either France’s Hugo Humbert and Arthur Fils, or Belgium’s Sander Gille and Goran Vliegen. There is no perfect use of time, no way to peer into the future to know the ending of the script written for you. But as that final chapter approaches, one of the biggest victories of a historic career will be made all the sweeter by the opportunity Murray has had to catch a glimpse of his own farewell story.