Like gunfighters, they are unable to avoid each other for long. From one town to the next, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have been in each other’s sights for nearly 17 years, from a junior tournament in the Pyrenees town of Tarbes – where the Scot won for the loss of a single game – to the semi-final of the 2015 French Open in Paris, where the Serb will walk on to Court Philippe Chatrier on Friday as the undisputed No1 player in the world, favourite to win their 27th shootout.
It has been some journey, and, as each of them is 28, it is a long way from over.