Andy Murray v Marcos Baghdatis - as it happened

Depressing preamble: Murray has played Marcos Baghdatis twice as a senior and lost both matches. Woah! Worse still, Baghdatis reckons he's back to his best form after two years of injury and what he calls "mind problems". Murray will see his mind problems and raise him a full-on blistering funk should that run continue today. Can Murray book his place in the last 16? Let's hope so. Clouds and Lining dept. If Murray does get knocked out, we won't have to suffer hearing pockets of the crowd singing "let's go Andy let's go", the most pathetic call to arms in the history of all sport. 2.20pm: the players are knocking up now. Baghdatis has won the toss. I'll tell you what he plans to do when I find out, which could be never. Thank you, my Guardian sport, I hear you cry. The weather: It's sunny. Getting my excuses in early: I've got a plaster on the end of my middle finger and can't type properly, so this could be a superfarce. Apologies in advance. Baghdatis has opted to serve first. We're about to start. Murray 0-1 Baghdatis* Jeu. To love. This has started nicely. *Murray 1-1 Baghdatis The pair trade backhands for points. Baghdatis dinks one delicious drop shot over the net to earn break point, then another on it - but Murray saves by scampering to the net and hitting a spectacular spinning drop shot of his own into the Cypriot's deuce court. Three deuces later, Murray holds his first service game. What a palaver. Murray's serve seems to be going really well today, in so much as he gets one first serve in during this game - an ace! Yes! I know! Murray 1-2 Baghdatis* Murray earns his first point against serve, and returns with some confidence, but can't make any serious inroads. Swanning up and down the baseline, Baghdatis is moving Murray all around the court here, hither and, in addition, yon. *Murray 2-2 Baghdatis Chasing down a Murray dink, Baghdatis tears across the court, left to right (G to H on the OFFICIAL ANDY MURRAY OH-I-SAY-O-METER ) and whacks a beautiful forehand on the slide, H to C. Murray cracks a rueful grin. That was outstanding. Again Murray needs a couple of deuces to hold his serve, and looks a bit heavy of leg. Are those long games against Bottler Gasquet and Juan Ignacio Chela catching up with him already? "I agree with your sentiments regarding the 'let's go' chant," writes Sam Donaldson from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Not Yorkshire. "Unfortunately ubiquitous at all North American sports events, particularly hockey (along with the stupid da-da-da-da-der-daaaaaaaaaa organ jingle). My attempts to revert to the old standby 'the referee's a wanker' have so far resulted only in confusion and/or anger, and probably not appropriate for tennis anyway." Not least because the referee's an umpire. Or should that be the wanker's an umpire? I don't know. Perhaps you could sing one of those instead, anyway. Murray 3-2 Baghdatis* Murray turns up the heat. Now it's his turn to boss the game from the baseline, sending Baghdatis skittering here and, furthermore, there. Baghdatis buckles, trying to force the issue by advancing into the net, but only whacking a forehand onto the cord, sending the ball bouncing wide left of court. He gifts Murray two break points, and the Scot only needs one, watching calmly as Baghdatis, suddenly dyspraxic it would seem, hoicks a simple forehand miles long. That's the first break of the match, and against the run of play too. *Murray 4-2 Baghdatis Murray's serve has been bobbins this week - his first serve percentage was down at 30-odd during the game against Gasquet, which was hilariously pathetic - but it clicks into gear at the start of this game, a couple of big booms sending him sailing to 40-0. A couple of sloppy points later, it's 40-30, and the pressure's back on - but a crisp serve-and-volley point puts the game to bed. Murray 5-2 Baghdatis* Boom! Baghdatis wallops a massive serve down. Wheech! Murray returns in the blink of an eye. Gah! Baghdatis, at the net with the court begging, stiffs a forehand straight into the meshy stuff. It's one of those points so hopeless that you immediately think "oh-oh, here comes thundering nervous breakdown" - and sure enough another wild forehand, ballooning a Murray chip out of court, presents his opponent with another break point. Murray can't convert this time round, but gets a second chance thanks to another loose forehand sent sailing way out of play. And Murray makes no mistake this time, Baghdatis hitting a dreadful forehand into the net for number two of those . Oh-oh! Here comes thundering nervous breakdown! And not least because some members of the crowd have started singing Flower of Scotland. MAKE IT STOP. MURRAY WINS THE FIRST SET: *Murray 6-2 Baghdatis Well, that was easy in the end. Though his first couple of service games were fingernail-bothering jobs, Murray soon imposed himself on his opponent, who seems to have no answers all of a sudden. A lot of unforced Baghdatis errors, especially on his forehand, are helping the Murray cause no end. Murray 6-2, 1-0 Baghdatis* Another game, another laughable balloon from Baghdatis, H to C, well over the sideline. He's looking very nervy. And another! This is ludicrous. Just to mix it up, he sticks a backhand into the net too. What an all-round entertainer. Murray has five break points in this epic - one earned with a lush forehand down the sideline on the move, B to H - and eventually Baghdatis gives his service up with... you guessed it, a weak forehand wafted into the net. *Murray 6-2, 1-1 Baghdatis Well, let's not forget that Baghdatis's trick of skelping forehands into the net has been Murray's party piece in his first two matches here this week. And now he's back in the habit again, going 0-40 down in the blink of an eye with some very loose play, a situation from which he was never coming back, despite some excellent-if-desperate court coverage in the final point, Baghdatis making a square meal of smashing Murray away. He breaks back immediately, though. This is a very strange match, all told. Murray 6-2, 1-2 Baghdatis* Another break point for Murray, but this time the chance is spurned, Baghdatis bravely hammering his opponent back on his heels on the baseline with a powerful backhand. Is the tide turning? Anyway, here's a message from Andy Murray (no, not that one, as you shall see): "I emailed in about the other day regarding sharing my name with Andy Murray and how my friends will come out with stuff like 'bad luck in the tennis yesterday Andy' after another defeat in a major. This is much to my non-amusement. I was wondering if any other MBM readers share their name with failed / failing sportsman and if the same thing happened to them. For example, are there any Timothy Henmans or Jimmy Whites out there that have any advice on how to cope with the hilarity of these types of comments? I currently chuckle and say 'Yeah, I know' while inside I am going mental and eyeing up the scissors on my desk." I feel your pain. Even more so, perhaps, lame gags based on the world number four tennis player surely having more cachet than ones referencing former Fraserburgh and Bristol City strikemen or outsized rugby galoots. *Murray 6-2, 2-2 Baghdatis Possibly with the radge on - he really should be a double break up in this set - Murray spends the first two points of this game loitering by the net, tonking vicious volleys past Baghdatis's lugs. But the big man has gained some momentum, and advances into the court, all the way to the service line, himself, whipping a couple of big winners, his forehand finally finding its range. Murray digs himself out of a hole, though, introducing the first drop shot in many a game to surprise his opponent and tie the set score up. Murray 6-2, 3-2 Baghdatis* Baghdatis sends a preposterous forehand into the net - plus ca change - though this one is special, barely off the floor. What the hell is up with this guy today? He nearly goes 0-30 down, leaving himself stranded with an overcooked dropshot (E to C), but Murray's returned drop shot (C to F) isn't too clever either, allowing Baghdatis to recover wonderfully and flick a winner F to C with Murray roughly where he is on the OFFICIAL ANDY MURRAY OH-I-SAY-O-METER, funkcloud and all. Much good the save does him; after 384 deuces (I may have lost count) Baghdatis falls to pieces: on advantage, he nets a forehand, yes yes, then blasts a daft forehand miles right of court, before netting a dreadful first serve and watching the second one whistle past back his earholes. There goes that service game. And what a capitulation, especially as he'd looked to have turned the tide a bit. Oh-oh! Here comes thundering nervous breakdown! *Murray 6-2, 4-2 Baghdatis The game goes to one deuce, but Murray was never seriously in danger. Baghdatis wears a haunted look. "I've got the same name as the singer from awful arena-rock plodders Starsailor," writes the truly tragic figure of James Walsh. Oh God. Does anybody know what to say? "For one horrible moment it looked like they were going to get to Coldplay levels of ubiquity, but then it all fell away. Much as Murray's career will if he loses from here." Murray 6-2, 4-3 Baghdatis* Easy enough for Baghdatis in the final analysis, though Murray wastes a couple of chances to put his opponent under pressure, welting two forehands past the baseline, and one wide left, when there really was no need to be doing so. He's still a break up, of course. *Murray 6-2, 5-3 Baghdatis Forehand, net, Baghdatis, old. You might as well write it yourself. MURRAY IS GIFTED THE SECOND SET: Murray 6-2, 6-3 Baghdatis* Baghdatis takes delivery of the new balls. Now he's shanking backhands miles wide of the court, as erratic as they come. Murray plays the shot of the day, a blistering cross-court forehand at speed, A to H, with Baghdatis stranded, though Baghdatis's initial shot was wide. Oh dear. Murray nearly matches it with a frankly stupid work of genius on the run, B to H, to set up two break points. Two set points. And he doesn't need to do anything, Baghdatis double faulting lamely, the Roland Garros crowd sighing in the light Parisian style. *Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-1 Baghdatis Perhaps embarrassed by the way that last set slipped away, Baghdatis unleashes a fierce backhand at the beginning of this game. It fails to wake Murray, who is snoozing after making sure of the second set, and before anyone knows it, the game is secured. Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-2 Baghdatis* Thing is, Murray hasn't been particularly impressive today; Baghdatis has just been awful. He goes 30-0 up with a couple of super serves - then sticks his 943rd weak forehand of the day into the net. Wheech! There goes all that momentum! Suddenly he's facing break point at 30-40. This time, his big serve digs him out, but that was a poor game, and he was lucky to get away with it. *Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-3 Baghdatis Hmm. Murray is walking around in the casual style, and it's not helping his game. A couple of loose forehands, one into the net, another clanged miles long, gets him in all sorts of trouble at 15-40. A delicious drop shot confuses Baghdatis in the grand style, but he's up at the net in time for the next point, to whip a winner down the line, F to B. He's a double break up, and Murray is sitting in his chair grinning like an embarrassed simpleton. (See also David James in his mid-90s Liverpool pomp, sitting in his area alone, against Manchester United or Paris St Germain.) Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-4 Baghdatis* A double-handed Baghdatis screamer down the line, B to H, sees Murray spinning like a top, eventually steadying himself by propping his racquet on the clay. The Scot is no longer smiling. This set is a bit of a non-event. "I have a famous name, but no fun stories to go with it," writes Duncan Fletcher, "Living in Canada, it really hasn't been a problem. The point of my email? I was just wondering, what if some sporting superstar called Gary Naylor comes along? Would it be the player or the ubiquitous emailer who gets that 'not that one' tag?" *Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-5 Baghdatis Murray isn't even bothering to chase down drop shots. He's totally given up on this set, that much is clear. But how much confidence does he want his opponent to gain? Baghdatis suddenly looks ten years younger, sliding around the court like a patron of Studio 54. BAGHDATIS TAKES THE THIRD SET: Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6 Baghdatis* Murray has changed his shirt. You'll do well to change your attitude, young man! *Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 0-1 Baghdatis Shades of Fernando González last year. Twenty-three minutes, that took. Dear me. And it looks like there's going to be more of the same here. Murray loses the first two points on his serve after a double fault and a limp forehand. He gets his act together for a while - winning a crucial rally at 15-30 with a crosscourt winner, A to F - but a Baghdatis drop shot sets up a break point. Which is relinquished by Murray with another double fault. This is dismal, bordering on pathetic, from the world number four. "I've found I've had to use the 'not that one' tag less frequently as the years have gone by," writes Sam 'Not that one' Fox. "Back in the late 80s my name was enough to raise a snigger in the most rarified of company." Speaking of similarities... no, this is the Guardian, let's just leave it there. Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 1-1 Baghdatis* Murray has started to talk to himself. A lot. The subject matter of this particular soliloquy is the tension in his racquet, which he's clearly unhappy with. Finally, a spark, Murray earning two break-back points with a stunning backhand return, G to B; Baghdatis can't dig it out from his feet, sending the dink straight into the net. Then Murray sends a lob over the head of Baghdatis, the Cypriot only able to twist and balloon a backhand miles out of court. A turning point? God knows, Murray needs one. *Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 2-1 Baghdatis Murray holds on to his serve. Nothing impressive, just good old-fashioned staunch returning. Eventually Baghdatis duffs a forehand into the net - he's not done that for a while - and the game falls into Murray's lap. Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 2-2 Baghdatis* The heat's on the Baghdatis serve for the first time in a while. We're to the point where one false move will see the Cypriot close to the edge. He makes few mistakes in this game, hammering down some big - and unreturnable - first serves. *Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 3-2 Baghdatis The Murray serve, drama free, at last. A lot of baseline rallies. Baghdatis tries to mix it up with a drop shot, but fannies it straight into the base of the net. Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 4-2 Baghdatis* Murray raises the tempo, taking each shot that split-second earlier as he pushes Baghdatis left and right as quickly as he possibly can, using the far corners of the court. In an attempt to break it up, Baghdatis comes to the net and dinks a fantastic drop shot, D to E, only to witness Murray whip a double-handed winner E to A, earning break point. And it's converted, Murray hammering a forehand almost straight at his opponent, G to D, Baghdatis flapping a volley straight into the net, then letting his shoulders slump. That was mightily impressive from Murray, who came out with a new intent. *Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 5-2 Baghdatis A simple service game with no frills. That is until the final point, Murray opening the face of his racquet at F and dinking it over a haplessly sliding Baghdatis to B. "I have a friend (I don't have a friend) called Tiger Wood which has caused no end of hilarity," begins Ian Copestake, "so much so that he changed his name to avoid the ridicule. However, not being a film buff he chose Edward." Ladies and gentleman, his name's Ian Copestake, he's here all week. Luckily, it's the end of the week. MURRAY WINS IN FOUR SETS, ALTHOUGH HE ONLY TURNED UP FOR THREE OF THEM: Murray 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 Baghdatis* Baghdatis serves to stay in the match. Murray's got him on the back foot constantly, a passing shot here, an attempted lob there. Sometimes the attacks are successful, sometimes less so, but considering Murray was looking spent himself at the start of this set, this is a remarkable turnaround. Murray earns himself a match point - and converts it with a tasty drop, A to E, Baghdatis unable to reach it in time. That was ultimately easy for Murray - although he really let it go in the middle there. And didn't start too cleverly either, before getting going. Hmm. Anyway, onwards and upwards. Next in line for the Scot is the Czech Tomas Berdych, the 15th seed, who dropped just five games against John Isner in the third round. Impressive stuff. "I loved OISOM," writes Matt Costelloe. "Also loving the carefully crafted perspective on the tram lines, although if I'm being ultra-critical it does rather suggest that the receiving player is a giant."