Recovering mail from a server backup

A bunch of messages have disappeared from an Imap mailbox, at the same time as the Time Machine backup disk at the client Mac has failed.
So, I'm looking to recover the missing messages from my OS X Server Mac mini, which has a known good Time Machine backup.
Can anyone advise an approach please. I'm unclear why the messages disappeared in the first place, but I assume that if I can somehow access them from the server backup, I can restore.
I could:
- Save off current messages from the client
= Restore the server to a point before the messages disappeared
- Copy back the saved current messages
Is there a better way?
And does anyone have a theory as to why the messages disappeared in the first place?
Thanks all

There really isn't a better way, IMHO. I've had to do the restore and it only restores the mail directory. So I took the same approach:
1. Export or copy to another folder within mail all of the user's email.
2. Restore the Mail file on the server.
3. Reconnect the client to the Mail server.
4. Manage deltas using the archived messages.
There may be another, more technical way to do this. But if the amount of mail isn't too bad, this is a very quick way to "fix" it.

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