Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

"A huge moment for Djokovic as he makes the breakthrough in the second set, his ability to withstand the Nadal forehand and work the point around to his own favoured backhand eventually drawing the error on break point.

"The pair have made 22 unforced errors apiece, but Djokovic has 32 winners to 13, and is dominating behind his very underrated first serve."

Image source, Getty Images

One of my favourite things about the French Open is the lack of technology forcing the umpires to scamper down off their perch when clearing up disputed calls. The man in charge on Court Suzanne Lenglen is forced to point to the ball-marked clay when Murray wrongly challenges a call to fall 30-0 behind.

The serving gremlins bother Ferrer again as two double faults - his fifth and sixth of the match - hauls Murray level. But the Spaniard restores calm with a backhand winner, then sees an agitated Murray release some tension with an annoyed scream after he fails to find the right side of the baseline as Ferrer holds.

This quarter-final might not go the distance we thought it would. Nadal is facing one of the biggest tests of his glittering career to prevent a first defeat at Roland Garros for six years. Djokovic is playing some astonishing stuff and wraps up the second set in brilliant fashion.

Who would have thought it? Nerves from Djokovic as he twice misses the chance to go two sets up.

But if David Ferrer is going to maintain this proud record then he is going to have to do it the hard way. Only one of these clay-court victories - in Barcelona in 2006 - saw the Spaniard lose the first set.

Anyway...back to today. Murray takes the ball to open up the second set and, after a couple of loose points give Ferrer hope, holds with his fourth ace of the match.

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent

"Today is like FA Cup third-round day where you are zipping around for updates on one game after another."

Huge game for Djokovic. Nadal is fighting to save the second set. A marathon game sees both players produce some excellent shots but Djokovic claims a big advantage. Nadal needs to produce something special.

Image source, AFP

Break point for Djokovic.

Phew! Moments after Andy Murray looks to the heavens when a heavy return ends a long baseline rally in Ferrer's favour, the Briton is left fistpumping when he clinches the first set. Murray steps into the net to volley a Ferrer return into the Paris clay and out into the back wall.

Image source, AP

Five set points for Murray become four when his limp backhand crashes into the net. Then four become three with an almost identical point. But he has two serves to see off the plucky Spaniard now...

Solid stuff from Murray. The Briton is one point away from the first set after holding his serve, ending with a blistering serve that Ferrer cannot send back over the tape.

The heat is getting to Ferrer. After holding his first serve, he cannot do the same with the second - then castigates a photograph for taking pictures in his eyeline....

Nadal again fails to claim a point from a Djokovic serve. Attention once again switches to the lack of water on the court. Both players continue to struggle with their footing on the clay. How long before an injury?

Image source, Getty Images

I'm not sure what David Ferrer just said - but its bound to be unrepeatable. After the Spaniard finds the net on Murray's first serve, he somehow spoons a volley wide to put Murray firmly in control...

Tie-break time! Murray, like he did about an hour ago, takes first blood by nicking his opponent's serve...

This is developing into as much a mental battle as a physical contest. There's little to choose between these two in this set. Nadal is at his inconsistent best. One shot into the net followed by a brilliant forehand.

Murray is not hitting the same heights which has done so far on the clay this season. Two unforced errors mean he is two points from a tie-breaker, two points from losing the set.

Another mistake from the Briton means a lip-licking Ferrer is eyeing up a break. Cue a rocket serve from Murray. The number three seed hammers down a 203km serve which Ferrer sticks his strings on but can't return. Deuce.

High quality groundstrokes from both men as they exchange in a long rally before Murray plucks out the ruler to a perfectly measured forehand inside the line.

Five further points are exchanged before Murray has the stamina to outlast his opponent in another lengthy exhchange to take the first set, which ticks past the hour mark, into a tie-break.

Ninety minutes into this match. This is going to be a long one. Djokovic might be raging inside but he is turning it to his advantage. Another service game by the Serb in which Nadal is unable to register a point.

Image source, Reuters

Pat Cash
1987 Wimbledon champion

"That was a pretty poor couple of games from Murray and he has got to cut those unforced errors out.

"But give Ferrer credit because he did what he had to do. He's been sneaking through this tournament, he's a great competitor and has incredible fitness, but if you said what's his favourite shot you'd be scratching your head, and so would he probably, but he takes his chances and is so hard to beat on clay."

Djokovic is rattled after his exchange with the umpire. Nadal has also been slipping and sliding but a terrific rally from the Spaniard is the highlight as he claims the fourth game of the second set.

Image source, Reuters