Andy Murray through rain-interrupted French open second round
More than 24 hours after Andy Murray began his rain-interrupted second round match against Juan Ignacio Chela, the Scot sealed his place in the third round with a four set victory 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2.
Murray had left the court on Wednesday night holding a 6-2, 3-3 advantage over the Argentinian, but it was Chela who started the stronger of the two when play resumed after more rain delays on day five in Paris.
Chela claimed the second set in a tiebreak and scores were locked at 1-1 in the third set when rain forced the players off the court once again, at what was potentially an opportune time for Murray as he sought to swing the momentum of the match back in his favour.
It was his unseeded opponent, however, who again made the better start when play recommenced after a further 42-minute delay with Chela securing a break of serve and a 3-2 lead in the set.
The fourth seed then began to find his rhythm, and did not allow the clay court specialist another game for the set and only two more for the match as he ran out the winner.
That victory books Murray a match against Marcos Baghdatis in the third round, after the Cypriot defeated Marcel Granollers in four sets in his second round match.
Also completed on day five was the match between 13th seed Gael Monfils and Italy’s Fabio Fognini, which on day four had seen the final two games played in gloomy conditions on centre court, with play finally suspended at two sets all and 5-5 in the fifth set.
It was Fognini, who’d had three match points the previous night, who ultimately emerged victorious from the tussle, finally clinching the win 9-7 in the deciding set.
Sixth seed Andy Roddick remains in the hunt at Roland Garros after notching a four set victory over 112th ranked Blaz Kavcic, while his American counterpart John Isner has continued his career-best year with a 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 6-4 victory over Switzerland’s Marco Chiudinelli.
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