After the yelling and the leaping, the hugging and the sheer disbelief, Andy Murray returned to his seat and acted as if he had found a moment of silence amid the bedlam. Head in his hands, he tried to process the previous minute where his career teetered on the brink and then came roaring back once more. He can’t believe this. Can we? Not a chance. His Olympics  show with Dan Evans goes on and the last dance gets another turn. As thrilling as the last time, as fraught with tension, two more match points saved to extend a career by at least two more days.

Because why not? Murray is making up the rules now. When you’ve already saved five match points and seen the end, you are playing with house money, even if it is potentially the final match of your career.

Murray and Evans summoned the spirit of what they found in that memorable escape in the opening round, first playing as if they had nothing to lose and everything to win, then digging themselves out of trouble again.

Some of the other news from today at the Olympics…

The all-around team final is a wild circus of a night with flips and spins and falls in all directions, and you need four eyes to watch. But at 8.20pm there was only one routine left to perform, and the room belonged to Simone Biles.

She performed with spring and extraordinary height, the highlight of which was a triple twisting double-back somersault which is hard enough to write, let alone deliver in an Olympic final. The routine contained some flaws on landing but it is a measure of her otherworldly skill that her score of 14.666 was still the best all night by a distance. She sealed gold with a kiss and the Bercy Arena erupted.

Eight years after winning her fourth Olympic gold medal, Biles now has her fifth. It is her 38th world and Olympic medal, if anyone is still counting at this point. She did it with cameras inches from her face at every turn. She did it performing slightly within herself, stepping back from the edge. And she did it as part of a phenomenally talented team.

Elation for Murray – and for Evans – as the Scot knows there’ll be at least one more chapter to add to an illustrious career.

The duo will face the winner of tomorrow’s tie between the USA and the Netherlands, with Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul playing Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer.

Gille serves again – and Evans smashes it right at Vliegen, who can only guide his return long!

Murray will serve with match point.

And GB take it! Murray will play at least one more match!

His serve is returned but it sets up a great volley chance for Evans – he obliges, smashing it over for 11-9! GB are through to the quarter-finals!

Murray to serve – can GB find daylight?

Not yet, as Murray finds the net for 6-6. The pairs change ends, and it’s soon 7-6 to Belgium as Evans can’t return a lovely switch from Vliegen. Two points lost on Murray’s serve there.

Belgium go 8-6 up as Vliegen rifles another cross-court shot in.

but there’s a lifeline for GB as Evans returns well and Vliegen can only scoop it wide!

Evans will be next to serve, but he hooks his return long and Belgium have two match points…

They save one though, as Vliegen can’t return Evans’ serve.

And they save the second too! Gille slices a return against the net and we move to 9-9!!

Murray’s return from Vliegen’s serve creeps wide, and we’re level again.

Evans’ return goes long and Belgium find themselves 4-3 up. Evans will serve next…

His first is brilliant, forcing Gille to hook it long on the return. His second isn’t so good, and the return is fired past by Vliegen. 5-4 to Belgium as Gille steps up to serve.

GB get lucky as Gille can only return Murray’s shot against the net. 5-5!

And GB win the next point as the same happens again! 6-5.

A good start for GB at 1-0, but Murray can’t return the serve and it’s level.

Gille’s next serve is a good one, but it’s returned well and the Belgian makes the mistake for the mini-break! 2-1 to GB.

Vliegen goes long with the return, and it was a great decision from Murray to leave that one. Really kept his calm.

The Scot serves again – but his return finds the net after some hesitation over whether Vliegen’s shot was landing in. 3-2 as Vliegen serves.

Hopefully we won’t need the drama of their first round match for GB to get through.

This tie-break is first to 10 points, for a place in the quarter-finals. It all looked so positive for the British at one point, and they had the match points to take it, but here we are.

Evans hooks the return out and now it’s set point to the Belgians!

Murray serves to save it…and he does! Vliegen hooks the attempted lob wide for 7-7.

Murray to serve again – and there’s another match point as Gille can only find the net with the return!

But it’s not to be yet, as Gille’s volley runs past Evans. There are protests from GB as they feel Vliegen’s serve hit the net, but the umpire gives Belgium the point for 9-8.

Evans to serve to save the set – and he double faults! Terrible end to the set, and we’re going to a match tie-break.