The real miracle of Andy Murray as Wimbledon bow out is act of mercy from a legend with nothing left to prove - Keith Jackson

As painful as it was, Andy Murray’s decision to throw in the towel on one last singles at Wimbledon also felt like an act of mercy.

Truth is, there is no more joy to be had out of watching Scotland’s greatest sportsman battle against the aches and limitations of his own body in the pursuit of delivering one last miracle. The likelihood of which has been becoming ever more remote ever since he first dragged his metal hip off the surgeon’s table.

There has been nothing to be savoured from seeing this national treasure hurple from one tournament to the next and being routinely dismissed by players who possess a fraction of his talent. It has been excruciating and not just for Murray who has winced his way from one setback to the next while enduring varying degrees of physical distress. The romantic notion of one last dance on the greatest grass stage of them all this summer did tug at the heartstrings for as long as it seemed even remotely feasible.

As did the irresistible thought that, against all odds, Murray might be able to muster up one last superhuman effort to bow out like the champion he is. That’s probably why he left it so long before finally accepting that his body simply could not withstand the demands of another gruelling five-set battle.

That, rather than peaking one last time before his adoring fans on centre court, he was more likely to find himself being trampled down once more, surrounded by wellwishers attempting to avert their gaze from the cruelty of his own suffering. All of which would have been a horrible and awkward curtain call for a man who ought to be remembered as the Murray who operated at the very height of his powers – when he was taking on the greatest players who ever picked up a racquet