Murray Prevails First Round Marathon

The opening match to Roland Garros 2016 between no.2 seed Andy Murray and 129 ranked Radek Stepanek on Monday was a highly turbulent and a fierce duel which saw changes in pace, shifts in momentum and even a one day delay in the completion of the match.

The match started with a strong opening by the Czech who took the first two sets 6-3 6-3 by storm. Stepanek took full charge as he powered in some strong baseline shots with a combination of deft drop shots. The skills of the doubles expert came in handy during the match.There was nothing Murray could do until then and looked like a mere spectator.

And then things turned around in the third set as Murray unleashed some magical strength to pull of a bagel and manage and survive in the match.

As the lights dimmed, the match came to a halt after complaints from both players. This came when Murray was leading 4-2 in the fourth.

Today, the match resumed and in no time Murray levelled the match after taking the set 6-3.

The match went into a decider, which was the most intense of all. Both players relentless, refusing to give up. Each point was worth the watch and the set clocked 60 minutes as the two players levelled at 5-5.

Finally, it was Murray who broke the Czech at a crucial point and with brilliant serves made way to victory. After 3h 41min, 5 sets and 2 days of grueling tennis, the match came to an end.