Murray's long farewell begins with emotional doubles defeat

LONDON : It may not quite be the end for British great Andy Murray at Wimbledon but it felt like it as the 37-year-old received an emotional farewell after he and brother Jamie were beaten in the first round of the men's doubles on Thursday.

Murray, regarded as one of his country's all-time great sportsmen, returned to the scene of his two Wimbledon titles barely two weeks after surgery to remove a spinal cyst.

That injury, one of the many that have plagued the Scot in the latter years of his remarkable career, ruled Murray out of making one last singles appearance before he retires.

But wild horses would not keep him off the Wimbledon turf one more time and it felt fitting that the brothers from the Scottish town of Dunblane partnered up on the hallowed lawns for the first time in a Grand Slam.

Australian duo Rinky Hijikata and John Peers provided the opposition although, for once, the result felt secondary, even if Murray's ferocious competitive spirit still burned brightly as the light faded on Centre Court.

The crowd, which included Murray's wife Kim, eldest daughters Sophia and Edie, mum Judy and dad William, feared an abrupt ending to his last Wimbledon, 19 years after his first, when he pulled up clutching his back after a couple of games.

He soldiered on though and produced some flashes of the brilliance that saw him become the first British man for 77 years to win Wimbledon in 2013, having won the U.S. Open and Olympics the year before, and Wimbledon again in 2016.

Hijikata and Peers won 7-6(6) 6-4 and although Murray is still scheduled to play mixed doubles with compatriot and fellow Grand Slam winner Emma Raducanu, it proved an opportune moment to celebrate the career of the former world number one.

On came Sue