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Some nice net play from Murray in this game, the Scot standing tall and swatting away everything that Verdasco fires at him for 30-15. Verdasco lets out a wail of frustration as he sends a forehand into the tramlines. The Spaniard can then only watch on as Murray whips a forehand down the line with venom to close out the game to 30.

Verdasco has a more comfortable time of it in this service game, easing through for the loss of just one point.

Daily Mail tennis correspondent Mike Dickson: "There's no doubt if you could choose to hit the ball anywhere to Fernando Verdasco it would be low to his backhand."

Murray has leaked 10 unforced errors already in this match and he throws another one in to go 15-0 down on his serve. But the next three points are well executed, Murray moving Verdasco around the court well and forcing the error. The next point goes his way and we're level at 3-3.

Murray heaps the pressure on the Verdasco serve and it starts to waver. Deuce. Murray launches a forehand into the right corner and while Verdasco slides and makes contact, the ball lands in the net. Break point. The Spaniard saves it and then rattles off the next two to hold.

Avi Sen:, external Murray's first serve percentage is woeful! He needs to do better if he has any chance of winning this tournament.

Murray once again finds himself facing a break point, but he follows in a lovely cross-court forehand to put away the resultant volley down the line. Deuce. Murray gets caught out by a mid-court return and the Scot just lofts his resultant shot long. Another break point. The whole court is Murray's as he winds up his backhand, but the follow-through is poor and the ball ends up in the net. Verdasco breaks.

Daily Mail tennis correspondent Mike Dickson: "When we come back to look at Andy Murray's career we will see that angled backhand from the back of the court as his signature shot and that was a classic example of it under pressure, there is nobody in the game who plays that better, a wonderful technical execution of that shot."

Image source, AP

Simona Halep beats Sloane Stephens 6-4 6-3 to set up a quarter-final with either Svetlana Kuznetsova or Lucie Safarova.

Rhosyn Morgan-Davies:, external What is it with this year's Roland Garros and players wearing the same outfit! Makes telling them apart a nightmare!

Both players are wearing near identical outfits: white baseball caps, fluorescent yellow top and regulation black shorts. The only difference is that Murray has gone for the black sock and trainer combo while Verdasco has chosen white socks with yellow trainers. Should suppliers consider "home" and "away" kits?

Image source, Getty Images

But back to the match, where Murray manufactures his first break point of the match and takes it with a wonderful angled backhand passing shot while on the run. Brilliant stuff. Murray breaks.

Sarah: Please make this relatively painless for us Andy! Have only recovered from yesterday (and the day before)....

Murray's first serve deserts him and just a few minutes into this match, he finds himself two break points down. The first one is saved with a tasty forehand winner and the second saved with a big serve. Deuce.

Verdasco gets himself a third break point, but again Murray saves it. The Scot then brings up game point and let's out his first "come on!" of the match as he watches a Verdasco forehand sail well long.

Fernando Verdasco eases through his first service game without dropping a point.

Here we go, then, folks. The warm-up is over. Let's do this. Fernando Verdasco, in a fluorescent yellow top, to serve first.

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

"It's a muggy afternoon back on Chatrier, Andy Murray's home from home, and there are a lot of Brits here now we're into the second week. Murray's compatriot, Jamie Baker, is here too and says he was looking very good in practice this morning, no sign of his exertions over the last two days."

Andrew: Fernando Verdasco will provide a real test for Andy this afternoon. Murray hasn't looked overly comfortable on the clay this season and there are a few concerns over his fitness, especially with this being his third consecutive match day. I can see Verdasco winning in four sets.

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While Fernando Verdasco has a disappointing record against Andy Murray, none of those matches have been on clay, the surface on which he has one four of his six career singles' titles.

The Spaniard has played at every Grand Slam event since his debut at Wimbledon in 2003 and this will be his 44th straight major. Only three men - Roger Federer, Feliciano Lopez and David Ferrer - have a longer active streak.

Victory for Andy Murray or Fernando Verdasco will set up a quarter-final match against either 23rd seed Gael Monfils or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Murray holds a 9-1 head-to-head record over Verdasco, but the Spaniard gave Murray his hardest match en route to the Wimbledon title last year, winning the first two sets before losing in five.