Murray came into the second day of their match leading by a set, but the world No.5 staged an impressive comeback to complete his second five-set win over two matches in just over four hours and 40 minutes.

“It’s never easy against Andy – everyone loves him here,” Tsitsipas said after the match. “It was a very difficult game and I was really impressed with the way he held up having had hip surgery and with his level today. I wish him the very best in the future.

“It was nerve-racking and it’s extra difficult when you’ve grown up watching someone like Andy play on this court. I had goosebumps when he won his first title here. He was part of the top four for I long time and I always looked up to him, Novak, Roger and Rafa – they shaped the game and they are the reason I’m here today.”

Murray finishes the grass court season having provd he is still one of he best players in the world on the surface and having lifted two titles at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy and Rothesay Open Nottingham.

"I'm obviously very disappointed just now," Murray said. "Obviously you never know how many opportunities you're going to get to play here."

A match of the finest margins saw three tie-breaks and just two breaks of serve throughout as both players brought their best tennis out onto Centre Court. In the first set tie-break, Tsitsipas’s signature forehand came to his rescue as he reeled off his 21^st winner of the match before a Murray error gifted him the lead.

On they battled, both players firing on all cylinders to make it 24 games without a break of serve to roll into a second set tie-break. This was Murray’s chance to strike. The former world No.1 played a level above the world No.5 in the high pressure points and as Tsitsipas rattled the net on a couple of key points to hand the advantage to Murray.

Murray’s assertion continued into the third as the Brit made the most of Tsitsipas’s dip in form to get the first break of the match. Giving his trademark Murray roar to the crowd and playing some vintage Murray passing winners the Brit saved break points of his own before serving out the third.

As the clock struck 22:38 and with the momentum all in Murray’s favour, the officials called time on the match for the day – they’d have to come back on Friday.

They started again in similar fashion and without a single break point to speak of they headed straight for a third tie-break of the match. Both players feeling the nerves and hitting more conservatively it was Murray who would blink first – giving up a vital mini-break before Tstitsipas edged level.

Going into the fifth, Tsitsipas only grew stronger. In his fourth straight day on court, he got his first and only break of the match at 1-1 and won 17 of 18 points off his first serve to see out another Wimbledon classic.