He was two sets down, he forced a decider when it looked like he could barely move but former world No 1 Andy Murray went down fighting to world No 22 Roberto Bautista Agut 4-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 2-6 in the first round of the Australian Open, in what could well be his final match of a glittering career.
After the defeat in a marathon encounter that went beyond four hours, Murray was shown a video of congratulatory messages from his colleagues that included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki and others.
Defending women’s singles champion Wozniacki even cheekily extended a coaching role to Murray.
Watch the full video here:
Murray did leave the window open for a miraculous comeback.
“If this was my last match, amazing way to end. I gave everything I had... Maybe I’ll see you again, I’ll do everything possible to try. If I want to go again I need to have a big operation which there’s no guarantee I’ll come back from but I’ll give it my best shot,” an emotional Murray said after his loss.