Murray is really wobbling now. Is there anything left in his legs? A double fault and a wayward forehand leaves him 0-30 down and that swiftly becomes 0-40 when Robredo pummels a forehand down the line. Another double fault, and Robredo secures the vital break in this deciding third set.

Murray doesn't even sit down at the changeover, simply getting some fluids on board to try to keep his cramp at bay. Robredo is keeping his cool admirably on serve, giving Murray nothing to go at and holding to love with a backhand top-spin winner.

Murray's cramp is hardly tested as he finds some big serves and closes out the game to 15 with a backhand winner.

One of the quirks of this tournament is the attire of the line-judges. To a person, they are decked out in brown leather shoes, chinos, baggy blue sweaters and ... sunglasses. Indoors. Strange.

Anyway, Robredo is up against it on his serve again, wiping his brow at 30-30. Murray nets a backhand then grabs his calf to attend to what looks like cramp. That's not a good sign. Murray does not even chase down the next point. At 2-2, this is anyone's match.

An effortless hold to love puts the Scot 2-1 ahead. If Murray can keep holding his serve, all the pressure is on Robredo.

Murray opens the door to a break at 0-30, but his confidence gets the better of him as he misses a couple of attempted winners by an inch. Robredo fights back to take the game with four points on the bounce. An angry Murray mutters some words to himself before preparing to serve again.

Murray makes the perfect start to the deciding set as he holds serve to 15. A swig of juice and straight to the other end to try to make inroads on the Spaniard's serve.

Meanwhile, in the crowd, a Murray fan holds up a newspaper front page with a picture of Murray kissing the Wimbledon trophy on it. Inspiration, should Murray need it, as he closes in on his third title of the year.

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This really is an extraordinary match. The overall quality is actually pretty low - both players are clearly exhausted - but it is curiously gripping. Think psychological drama as opposed to all-action thriller.

Match point Robredo again ..... and Murray saves it with an ace!

Murray ups the ante with a beefy forehand to earn a set point of his own - and the Scot converts it at the first attempt when Robredo can't control a forehand.

Incredible scenes. Robredo has now wasted seven match points against Murray in two matches. In the Shenzhen final, Murray ran away with the final set to take it 6-1. What can we expect here?

Murray wins two points on the bounce to level up the breaker. At 4-4, a cracking point ensues, with Murray paying the price for not putting away a volley as Robredo passes him with a brilliant backhand on the run. Moments later, Murray nets a simple forehand, and Robredo has a match point. In Shenzhen, he wasted five of them before Murray took the match. And this time, the first goes begging as he pushes a forehand long.

Murray lands a brilliant drop volley to take the first point against the serve, then berates himself for "thinking too much" after serving a double fault. The players trade errors, but Robredo sneaks two points in front with a clean smash and a powerful forehand, which Murray can't get back.

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The rallies are back, but Murray is in control, wearing down Robredo until he nets a backhand. When another backhand from the Spaniard misses its intended target, we are into a tie-break.

This a bubbling up into a really tasty final now. A Murray forehand winner merely prompts an even better backhand from Robredo. Murray is hitting the ball as cleanly as he has done at any point in the match but Robredo is as tough as they come, putting away a high backhand volley at deuce and nudging 6-5 ahead when his clever half-court dink draws an error from Murray. Once again, the British number one must win his serve to keep this match alive.

Just when Murray needs it most, he pulls out his best service game of the match, holding to love to level up at 5-5 with an ace.

If Murray has the world-weary gait of a middle-aged divorcee, Robredo is now skipping around like a lovestruck teenager. The Spaniard clobbers a superb forehand winner on the run as he holds to love and moves within one game of the match.

Robredo changes his shirt, while Murray hobbles over to the service line once more. And it's not long before Murray is buckled over his racquet again as he nets a backhand for 30-all. Two Murray misses and Robredo's comeback is complete.

Is the smart money now on the Spaniard taking this in two?

Murray fancies this now. He takes it to the Robredo serve, racing into a 0-30 lead and picking up three break points rather fortuitously when a Robredo net cord lands back on the Spaniard's side.

Incredibly, Robredo digs deep and produces some of his best tennis of the match to win the next five points and keep his second set chances alive.

A longer rally, with Murray in command, pinging a forehand crosscourt winner to go 30-0 up. A drive volley gives him three game points, and Murray wraps up the fourth consecutive love game in the set with a forehand down the line.

The pattern continues with another easy service hold for Robredo. Are both men keeping something back here, steeling themselves for the inevitable decider?

We've got two dead men walking out there. Robredo's movement is practically non-existent in this game as Murray holds to love. The Scot seals it with an ace that lands pretty much in the middle of the service box but still proves well beyond the reach of the struggling Spaniard.