karlpejera: Wimbledon 2012: Andy Murray v Marcos Baghdatis ? as it happened

Andy Murray stuttered, but made it to the last 16
? All the latest stats and more with the IBM SlamTracker
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Pity poor Andy Murray! The pressure's always heaped on the unfortunate young chap at Wimbledon. He's Tim Henman multiplied by Greg Rusedski, on the end of a stick whittled by Jeremy Bates. But with Rafa Nadal sensationally cleared out of his half of the draw, expectations have suddenly gone stratospheric. Could this finally be - come on, we're all thinking it - the year a British man gets to the final for the first time since Bunny Austin made it in 1938?

Well, yes, quite possibly. But like all good British tennis fans we are, of course, getting way ahead of ourselves. The door of opportunity may be ajar, but it's typical of Murray's luck that when Nadal crashes out, it's during a tournament where the Scot has found himself in the toughest quarter of the draw: ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Marcos Baghdatis, Marin ?ili?, Sam Querrey, David Ferrer, Andy Roddick, and Juan Mart�n del Potro! A fourth semi in a row for Murray will be an achievement in itself. Not that any of this will be taken into consideration should he fail to make it.

Marcos Baghdatis is the first obstacle, and getting past him will be no mean feat. The Cypriot beat a young Murray on the way to the semis here in 2006, while last season he gave eventual champion Novak Djokovic a run for his money in the third round. Baghdatis also has a fair idea of what's inside Murray's box of tricks; his coach is former Team Murray confidant Miles Maclagan. "Andy is a great player so Marcos has to come out and play really well," says Maclagan, "but the pressure is all on Andy. The questions keep coming about when he is going to win a slam and, with Nadal out, there will be a lot of the public who think he is just going to cruise to the final, which of course is just not the case."

[Notes on the OH-I-SAY-OMETER?: Between 1927 and 1939, football matches on BBC Radio were described by two commentators. One provided a running description of play. The other followed the ball, and depending on its position on the pitch, called out numbers which corresponded to a grid printed in the Radio Times. It was a perfectly logical system, and it's one we've tweaked - OK, nicked - for the tennis. It's the greatest leap forward in sports commentary for 85 years, and it's been designed to improve our service to you, not to make life easier for any lazy Game By Game hacks, oh no.]

And of course there's the IBM SlamTracker, which unlike my OH-I-SAY-OMETER? is an actual thing: According to it, for Baghdatis to have a chance, he'll need to win more than 56% of rallies with two or fewer shots. Murray meanwhile needs to win more than 54% of three-to-eight-shot rallies. So good luck with that, chaps! (The SlamTracker also suggests Baghdatis also needs to have an Aggressive Ratio of more than 1.6. I tell you what, I'll have an Aggressive Ratio of more than 1.6 if this turns into a five-setter, on account of my desire to go home at some point tonight. But I digress.)

7pm: After a mere six hours of tennis, Serena Williams and David Ferrer have won their Centre Court matches. Which means one thing: it's Murraytime! We're waiting for the players to take to the court. Won't be long now.

7.05pm: Murray and Baghdatis arrive on court, and begin knocking up. There are a lot of Union Jacks being waved. It's a bit like Ibrox, only they're not playing Penny Arcade by Roy Orbison over the PA, and we know the place will still be here this time next year.

7.10pm: As the players continue warming up, the crowd amuse themselves with a thoroughly polite Mexican Wave. A gentle oscillation of amusement. They're all flootered on Pimms. Absolutely banjaxed. In other news, the wind's getting up a wee bit, which might jigger Baghdatis's big serve a tad. We'll see about that.

And we're on our way. Baghdatis will serve first.

First set: Murray 0-1 Baghdatis* (*denotes server): Murray goes 30-15 up, but despite successfully chasing down quite a few lost causes - including one spectacular hoick from the baseline, spinning through 360 degrees to keep himself in a point that looked gone - he can't do any further damage. Baghdatis looks quite happy to head to the net at every opportunity, taking control of the points.

First set: Murray* 1-1 Baghdatis: An easy enough hold to 15, although Murray's serve needs some more time to warm up: a double fault, and a couple of slow second serves. Baghdatis nets a couple of returns, failing to take advantage.

First set: Murray 1-2 Baghdatis*: Murray needlessly loses his first challenge of the set, questioning a ball that had ballooned into the air and, caught by the swirling wind, landed well wide left of the sideline. No idea why he bothered with that. Baghdatis holds without drama. Both players are feeling each other out at the moment.

First set: Murray* 2-2 Baghdatis: The first long rally of the match, and it's won by Baghdatis, who suddenly springs into action, moving towards the net and crashing a shot into the far-left corner - OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? F to A - and then creaming Murray's desperate return up the left-hand sideline. That's a real belter of a point, Murray rocked back on his heels by a powerful double-whammy. Murray loses another entertaining point, slicing a shot down the right-hand sideline only to be once again pushed into the corner; he manages to return and then, after Baghdatis dinks a ball into Murray's right service court, makes up all the ground and so nearly rescues the point with a cross-court forehand flick. But no. The game goes to the first deuce of the match, though Murray closes it out quickly from there.

First set: Murray 2-3 Baghdatis*: Baghdatis whistles the first ace of the match past Murray's lugs on his way to an easy hold. "C'mon now, let's not get carried away too early, we're not thinking Murray will make the final," writes Simon McMahon. "ANDY MURRAY IS GOING TO WIN WIMBLEDON." To be fair, British fans rarely get the chance to entertain themselves with a bit of Tennis Hubris, you can understand us wanting to grab the opportunity before it all goes nipples up.

First set: Murray* 3-3 Baghdatis: It is very breezy out there on Centre Court. Both players have been pretty tentative with their serves. Murray in particular seems short of confidence, taking a while to get used to conditions. He falls 15-30 behind, but then plays three staunch points, moving Baghdatis this way and that around the court before polishing him off at the net. The first hint of trouble for either player, and Murray comes through the test with flying colours. His first serve isn't working at all, though.

First set: Murray 3-4 Baghdatis*: A long rally to open, with Murray eventually duffing a forehand into the net, an unforced error. Then he chases after a ball heading wide right, and slips over in the slapstick banana-skin-under-boot style, the soles of both shoes facing up as he skitters hysterically across the turf. But he's OK. The game soon goes west for Murray, though. Yet another game goes to serve. Here come the new balls!

First set: Murray* 4-4 Baghdatis: Some more British Tennis Hubris, courtesy of Twitter obsessive and sometime footballer Rio Ferdinand: "The pressure on @andy_murray to WIN is through the roof! Good luck fella! Gotta win this now Nadals out though hahahaha!" Ah, the myriad delights of our have-your-say culture. And here follow the dangers of Tennis Hubris! After losing the opening point - it happens - Murray carelessly goes 0-30 down by ballooning a forehand miles long. He booms what is basically (but not quite) an ace to grab back one point, but a weak second serve sees him fall 15-40 down. He brings it back to deuce with a marvellous short slice - OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? B to F - then a strange mix of passing shot and lob which nearly flies out but lands on the baseline. At deuce, the pair take turns to honk useless forehands into the net, before Murray closes it out. A close shave. Rio would do well to pipe down.

First set: Murray 4-5 Baghdatis*: Murray brings it back to 30-30 after losing the first two points, then stiffs a weak return of his opponent's poor second serve into the net. What a chance to earn himself his first break point of the match. He battles to deuce, but after a couple of Homeric rallies - one running to 26 strokes - Baghdatis tucks the game away. That's the closest Murray has got to his opponent's serve; Baghdatis is certainly on top at the moment, even if the margins are small.

First set: Murray* 5-5 Baghdatis: We're at the business end of the set now, and Murray settles his nerves with his best two first serves of the match so far, the first sliced miles to the left and out of Baghdatis' reach, the second a big boom straight down the middle. He advances to the net to put away the third point of the game, and despite being passed for the fourth, polishes the game off easily enough.

First set: Murray 6-5 Baghdatis*: Baghdatis moves Murray around hither and yon before advancing to the net to claim one point. Murray wafts a loose forehand into the net to concede another. At 40-15, Murray's body language suggests he's given up the ghost in this game, but appearances can be deceptive. He fights back to deuce, then engages Baghdatis in a long rally, waiting for the mistake that comes to give Murray his first break point of the match. He can't convert the first one. But the second one is in the bag, courtesy of an over-ambitious cross-court chip by Baghdatis - D to E - which flies well wide of the left-hand sideline. That wasn't the prettiest game by Murray, but what battling qualities he showed there. If he holds his serve, he's won the opening set.

Murray wins the first set 7-5: Murray slices, and advances to the net. The resulting drop shot into Baghdatis' right service court gives him two set points. And he only needs one, claiming the opening set with his first ace of the game. Timely. In the crowd, there are some British tennis fans sitting in lettered t-shirts to support their man: M... U... R... R... Y. Oh dear. Can anyone give them an A?

Second set: Murray 7-5, 0-1 Baghdatis*: A brilliant rat-a-tat rally, Murray at the net, but Baghdatis still dictating the point from the baseline. Murray scrambles this way and that, but eventually the Cypriot wins the point, his opponent diving full length a la Boris Becker but not quite getting there. Spectacular stuff, and great fun. There's a lot less of this sort of nonsense at Wimbledon these days, and the tournament's not better for it. Baghdatis holds to love.

Second set: Murray* 7-5, 1-1 Baghdatis: Murray takes to the double-handed backhand with relish. He's hitting quite a few of them. Baghdatis wins the first point with a clever drop shot - OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? B to F - and takes the game to 30-30 but makes no more inroads, Murray seeing the game out calmly with two decent serves. Seeing we're fiddling around with gadgets, what does this here IBM SlamTracker say? Well, it was pretty level during that first set: Murray hit 12 winners to 10, but Baghdatis served better, getting 59% of his first serves in to Murray's 50%. Neither number is much to boast about, but there is a good old draught blowing through Centre Court, so be fair.

Second set: Murray 7-5, 2-1 Baghdatis*: Murray, his tail up, wheechs into a 0-30 lead. Then at 15-30 a quite outstanding shot, a sliced effort from the back of the court which drops just over the net - OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? H to D - and forces Baghdatis, rushing to the net in panic, to balloon long. He's got two break points, but can't take either, Baghdatis winning the first with a blistering cross-court forehand from his left service court to Murray's left-hand sideline, then coming out on top in a 975-shot rally, both players looking at one point like they'd bagged it. Murray works himself another chance with a backhand down the left-hand sideline followed by a whip through the open court, and it's third time lucky, Baghdatis stiffing a return into the net. This game is far from a done deal - it's pretty damn close overall - but Murray's shading the margins. A sense that he's slowly getting on top, though the gap looks bigger on the scoreboard.

Second set: Murray* 7-5, 2-2 Baghdatis: A gorgeous drop shot by Murray - OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? D to E - ensures he wins the first point. He larrups a forehand into the net to lose the second. He hammers down his second ace of the evening - then needlessly nets another forehand! That is very careless. He just had to open his body up and pelt that through Baghdatis' left service court to claim the point. What a snatcher. The game goes to deuce - whereupon Murray falls again as Baghdatis moves to break point. And then a very strange incident, a ball working its way out of Murray's pocket (behave) during the rally, forcing the referee to call a let. He was on his way to losing that point, as he was in the middle of shanking a forehand miles into the sky, so that's a huge break. But he doesn't take advantage. He wins the replayed point, but loses the next, and then double faults, handing the break straight back to Baghdatis.

Second set: Murray 7-5, 2-3 Baghdatis*: Baghdatis hits one of the wildest first serves you're likely to see. Aiming for Murray's left service court, he skelps the ball into the left-hand side of the net, nearer the left sideline than the centre service line! A couple of long forehands later, he's 0-40 down. But Murray can't convert any of his three break points, and we're back to deuce. Oh dear. The third one sees him throwing a hissy fit as an attempt at a passing shot balances on the top of the cord and drops back. Racquet waft, racquet swish, swearie swear swear. Another break point's passed up by Murray. Baghdatis has the chance to close the game out, but sends a weak forehand into the net, then hits a backhand long. A fifth break point for Murray! And again he can't make it, the pair exchanging a series of sliced backhands, a passage of play that seems to pass for comedy in leafy south-west London, before Baghdatis works Murray out wide and polishes him off at the net. Then a sixth break point, and yes, you know it. Baghdatis saves it with probably the point of the match, a ludicrous rally which looked to have been won by a Murray lob, only for the Cypriot to scamper back and turn it round. Finally Baghdatis wraps it up. That was nigh on pathetic by Murray, especially after giving away his break before. You can't be passing up six break points in a game. He'll have the full funk on about that, I should imagine. It'll hurt. He'll do well to save his own serve after that blow, I reckon.

Second set: Murray* 7-5, 2-4 Baghdatis: Murray wafts a forehand into the net. Is he losing the plot? Not a bit of it. He wins the second point, then makes it 30-15 with a gorgeous flicked backhand - OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? E to D. But he balloons an easy forehand long, and there goes that momentum. He slices a forehand wide of the left sideline, and Baghdatis wins the break point. He only needed one. Murray doesn't look happy at all, but he's only got himself to blame for this turn of events. He's suddenly playing very poorly, and very passively indeed.

Second set: Murray 7-5, 2-5 Baghdatis*: A couple of long, long rallies. Baghdatis comes out on top, pushing Murray into the corners, forcing errors. Murray pulls it back to 30-30 with a screeching service return through the left service court. Then he sets up a break point, chasing down a drop shot, but slips as he does so, going over on his left ankle. He yelps as he goes over, but seems OK. However, Baghdatis wins the next three points to close out the game. It's hard to see Murray coming back in this set. And he'll do well to turn this momentum around. He sits back down at the changeover and smiles ruefully, but you can bet he's not happy at all. "The Murray / Lendl dynamic is pretty interesting don't you think?" asks Simon McMahon. "One a robotic, unsmiling, outsider who lost his first three Grand Slam finals and craves Wimbledon above all other tournaments, the other a... well, you can insert your own punch line." Although Murray's not going to win ~~any~~ eight slams, is he?

Second set: Murray* 7-5, 3-5 Baghdatis: Another ball falls out of Murray's breeks! He loses the point automatically this time, although he'd managed to catch the ball as it squirted out into the light. He's unconvincing for a while, but at 30-30 whips a tasty cross-court forehand - OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? C to H - and then closes the game out, at least forcing Baghdatis to serve out if he wants his set.

Baghdatis wins the second set 6-3, to level the match up at 1-1: Baghdatis moves fairly serenely to 40-15, two set points, but then tightens up a bit, allowing Murray to bring the game back to deuce. He appears to be ever so slightly on the ropes - a second serve at deuce - but Murray dumps a godawful forehand into the net, and his chance to pressurise is gone. As is the set. It's 1-1, and Murray has a lot to think about.

Yep, Murray's got plenty to think about, that's for sure. And he'll have a little time in which to do it, because with the light fading they're going to close the roof on Centre Court. The players will be back at 9.25pm (it's 9.05pm now) when the thing's shut. A finish tonight now looks unlikely, unless one player comes out all guns blazing; they can only play until 11pm. At which point they'll come back on Monday. Murray was a break up in that set, and took his foot off the pedal disastrously. Playing like this - so passively, so unsure of foot and action - he's got no chance of winning this game, never mind reaching the final or winning a slam.

While we wait, anyone fancy some IBM SlamTracker action? Sure you do. And there are a couple of worrying stats for Murray: he only hit seven winners in that second set, compared with Baghdatis' 16. And most crucially of all, he could only convert one of ten - ONE OF TEN - break points. His opponent clipped away two from three. I blame Rio "Good luck fella! Gotta win this now Nadals out though hahahaha!" Ferdinand for this shambles in its entirety.

Incidentally, the winner of this game will play Marin ?ili?, the winner of Queens, who saw off Sam Querrey in a classic. He won one hell of a match. Look at this scoreline: 7-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 17-15. Dearie me.

9.30pm: You know that thing about 9.25pm? That was a lie. We've been fed a line!

9.35pm: The roof is shut. The lights are on. The players return to the court. Baghdatis is smiling broadly, Murray frowning like only Murray can. This will continue until 11pm - unless they get special permission. From who, I have no idea. The tournament organiser? The police? London Transport? "81 games played by Cilic and Querrey! Assuming the average set has 9 games that's the best of 9 they've played, never mind best of 5. What do the ladies have to say about that, eh? Regards, Gilles Simon." Some blistering tennis satire there, brought to you by the pen of this report's other author / only reader Simon McMahon.

9.40pm: With a marvellous atmosphere cooking on Centre Court, the players get going again. It is on! Murray will serve first in the third set, 36 minutes after the last point. The MURRY lads still haven't found an A, by the way.

Third set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 Baghdatis: Murray wins the first couple of points with big serves, but Baghdatis whips a forehand past his opponent to make it 30-15. Murray responds wonderfully, with two huge aces. With no wind any more, expect both players to go for it.

Third set: Murray 7-5, 3-6, 1-1 Baghdatis*: Technical and temper issues prevent me from REWRITING THE LONG ENTRY I'VE JUST LOST TO THE ETHER. Suffice to say Murray was looking good at 0-30, but was hanging his head four miserable points later.

Third set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 2-1 Baghdatis: Tell you what, that was as fuss-free a service game from Murray as he's had all evening.

Third set: Murray 7-5, 3-6, 2-2 Baghdatis*: Murray begins another Baghdatis service game strongly, whipping a forehand winner right to left: OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? H to C. Then a long rally ends in a Baghdatis forehand error; once again, Murray is 0-30 on his opponent's serve. And at 15-30, what defence from Murray, who manages to chase back and dig out what looked like a lost cause near the corner of the left-hand sideline and baseline, forcing another error from Baghdatis, who nets tragically. That's two more break points for Murray. And guess what? Yep. Deuce. Ace. Booming serve. Serve held. Murray can't keep passing up these chances. I sense an almost total lack of belief at the moment.

Third set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 2-3 Baghdatis: Murray begins his service game with a double fault. He's got his knee taped up since the break, by the way, and he's running quite gingerly. He then stuffs a lame forehand into the net. And then fires a backhand long. This is hopeless. Baghdatis has three break points, and he's not as profligate as Murray, taking the second with a blistering backhand down the right sideline. This is fairly similar stuff from Murray to the second set: giving up chances to break, then losing his own serve. He's in real trouble here. This is a wholly unconvincing display.

Third set: Murray 7-5, 3-6, 2-4 Baghdatis*: Centre Court is pretty damn quiet, which given the roof has turned it into an echo chamber, is saying something. Everyone knows Murray's bid to stay in this tournament is looking shaky. Murray has taken to finding the net, unforced mistakes, with depressing regularity. It's 30-15, but then Baghdatis loses rhythm, and suddenly he's gifted Murray his 15th break point of the match. But he's taken only two of them, and he doesn't add to that total here, netting another appalling forehand. At deuce, Baghdatis scorches Murray with a passing shot down the left sideline, and he's another game closer to the third set.

Third set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 3-4 Baghdatis: Murray keeps hoicking forehands into the net. This is pitiful. There's another. But at 0-15, upon hammering another ball into the net, he gets a lucky net cord. And then at 15-15, another lucky net cord, which confuses Baghdatis into netting one himself. Will this change his mindset? Because he's playing like a drain, and should really be 0-40 down in this game. Well, we'll see, but he closes this game out, and is at least still in this set, albeit one break down.

Third set: Murray 7-5, 3-6, 4-4 Baghdatis*: "Murray desperately needs something to get him going," sighs Simon McMahon. "May I suggest that, after reappearing under the roof with a strapping on his knee that doesn't seem to have done him much good, he now needs to paint on a Harry Potter scar at the next changeover and, if that doesn't work, go for the full 'arrow through head' comedy routine." Oh he needs something alright, or he'll be driving home tonight in a square-wheeled collapsing car. He tries to find it at the opening of this game, winning the first point with a blistering return, followed by a holler of COME ON!!! It seems to get him going, because he sets up a 16th break point with a delicious slice down the left sideline, followed by a dainty dink at the net. Pushing off to chase down a drop shot, he falls yet again, and now grabs his groin. But he's got a 17th to fall back on - and Baghdatis obliges by wafting a preposterously weak drop shot into the net. We're back on terms!

Third set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 5-4 Baghdatis: Murray suddenly has his tail up. Meanwhile Baghdatis is beginning to look slightly loose all of a sudden; having drawn Murray into the net with a clever drop, he doesn't put away the passing shot, hitting it needlessly long. Murray holds to love, Baghdatis blootering the final point miles behind the baseline. He's ridden his luck in this set, and played badly for most of it. But now he's one game away from taking it.

Third set: Murray 7-5, 3-6, 5-5 Baghdatis*: Murray is looking to play some shots now. He sends a fizzing forehand just wide right of the sideline. But Baghdatis might be feeling some pressure all of a sudden. He double faults, then follows it up with a weak second serve, allowing Murray to cream a forehand into the right-hand corner: OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? A to H. Then it's amateur hour. At 15-30, with the set within sniffing distance, Murray hits a couple of loose shots to allow Baghdatis to 40-30. And then from deuce, Murray nets another, then stops midpoint with the ball still alive, allowing Baghdatis to close out the game. More chances - albeit half-ones this time - go begging. Murray can't keep on like this.

Third set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 6-5 Baghdatis:
Murray goes 30-0 up with a couple of faultless serves. But then throws in his fourth double fault of the evening - and once again a ball pops out of his pocket, meaning he forfeits a point he would otherwise have won. This is unspeakably pathetic. This isn't good news for Murray, it isn't good news for Adidas. Within seconds, he's facing break point at a crucial juncture. In a staunch manner, he digs out a superlative serve to save it, then closes out the game. He's leading this set again, and guaranteed of at least a tiebreak, but what a meal he made of that game. What a great game for Nike.

Murray wins the third set 7-5 to take a 2-1 lead! The game begins with a long rally, Baghdatis losing patience and whomping miles behind the baseline. It's an error he repeats at 30-15. And Murray smells blood, moving Baghdatis right and left along the baseline before stitching him up with a backspinning drop shot. Baghdatis skitters along the turf on his Aristotle, in the slapstick style. Then from indignity to full-on misery: Murray converts the set point with a creamer of a passing shot down the left, OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? G to A. OFFICIAL GUARDIAN SCREAMOMETER?: AAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! Murray is quite happy about this turn of events.

Fourth set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 Baghdatis: It's 10.36pm. Murray won't be getting ahead of himself, but will surely be looking to finish this set off in 24 minutes, so he can have a worry-free Sunday. Baghdatis slips over at one point, then takes an age to get back up, before slowly towelling himself down. Down the other end, Murray gesticulates at the referee, clearly of the opinion that his opponent wants to run down the clock and come back refreshed. He's obviously in a much more positive frame of mind. He wins the game to love. "Andy Murray, for all of his antipathy towards it, is pretty much the England football team transposed into tennis, with slightly better progression in the big tournaments," suggests Gary Naylor, proving that comedy is mainly about the timing.

Fourth set: Murray 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 2-0 Baghdatis*: Murray is putting an extra little juice into his forehands. There's a real sense of urgency with him now. He's beginning to find the corners. Baghdatis meanwhile is beginning to hit more and more loose shots, blootering balls out of play with half the court to aim for. The game goes to deuce, then Murray unleashes a stonking cross-court forehand - OFFICIAL GUARDIAN OH-I-SAY-OMETER? A to H - to set up his 19th break point of the game. His stats remain at 4/19. Then another A to H forehand, and he's 20 break points in the hole! This, however, is getting old; he wafts a dismal second-serve return into the net. No matter, here comes No21, after a long rally from the back of the court. Oh for goodness sake; deuce. But number 22's a goer - though only because Baghdatis double-faults. What a farcical game.

Fourth set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 3-0 Baghdatis: By all accounts, The Man is only prepared to sanction a couple of extra minutes past 11pm to finish a game, but even if we end that game at 5-0, it'll be no dice. We'll be back on Monday. Murray, perhaps mindful of the slim chance of finishing this in the next 11 minutes, holds his serve to a fuss-free love.

Fourth set: Murray 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 3-1 Baghdatis*: A fairly easy hold for Baghdatis. It's now 10.52pm. This situation is a wee bit silly.

Fourth set: Murray* 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 4-1 Baghdatis: One interminable rally apart, this was another uneventful hold of serve. It's 10.56pm. What a complete farce.

Fourth set: Murray 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 5-1 Baghdatis*: After the turnaround, it's 10.58pm. Baghdatis, teetering on the edge of defeat, is doing everything he can to take this to Monday. He's sauntering around between points like Algernon Moncrieff. And he's sticking forehands into the net - two of them - then another long. Murray has two break points - and it's 10.59pm! And as the clock strikes 11pm, Baghdatis hits long! Will they be allowed to continue? Will Murray be able to serve this match out? This is ludicrous. He's got to race to start the game, with the referee loitering at the edge of the court!

Yes, Murray manages to start the game! Even if it was a few seconds past 11pm when he whistled his first serve down. They won't stop this now.

And - at 11.02pm - Murray serves out to love! He wins 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1, and will face Marin ?ili? in round four! Phew. What a preposterous finale. The pair embrace warmly, then stop to sign a few autographs for happy little children WHICH CONSIDERING THE TIME ISSUES PROBABLY DIRECTLY CONTRAVENES HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION. Bad Andy! Bad Marcos! Anyway, Murray will be delighted with that, after looking in a complete state midway through the third set. What a turnaround. Hats off to him. It's still on, folks, it's still on.

Scott Murray