Murray outlasts Gasquet in French Open marathon

Andy Murray booked his place in the second round of the French Open with an epic five-set victory over Frenchman Richard Gasquet, during which the standard of the tennis veered from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Murray, who at one stage found himself two sets and a break down, eventually prevailed, winning 4-6 6-7 (5/7) 6-4 6-2 6-1 in four hours and four minutes.

After some spectacular shot making from both players in the first two sets things turned scrappy in the third and it became clear that the notoriously fragile Gasquet was running on empty.

By the time Murray claimed the third set the match was three hours old and the Frenchman was spent. Gasquet who had pleaded with organisers to put the game back to Tuesday so he could recover from a tournament last week, needed treatment at the start of the fourth set and could, by now, barely run.

The Frenchman's predicament did not stop Murray turning in some very ordinary tennis at times during the set and almost gifting Gasquet a break of serve. But Murray was able to find the shots when it mattered and he won the fourth and fifth sets in less time than it took to play the second set.

It was a similar story when the two last met, at Wimbledon in 2008. On that occasion a partisan Centre Court crowd willed Murray to victory, but this time round he had to do it on his own, with the spectators firmly behind Gasquet - the world number 45.

Murray also had injury worries of his own going into the match, but his sore right knee held up well on the clay surface as Gasquet's energy slipped away.

But afterwards the Scot admitted: "It was tough." But he added that the experience at Wimbledon had helped. And the number four seed is becoming something of a five set specialist - he has won seven of his last eight encounters that have gone the distance.

As for Gasquet, who was cleared of taking cocaine last year, he bemoaned the fact that he ran out of steam, but siad: "It was impossible for me to do anything else. He is a big fighter. He plays every point. I felt tired. It was very hot."

Murray now plays Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela in the next round on Wednesday. ·