Novak Djokovic is no longer playing tennis from the heavens. A backhand chop into the net sparks a stream of angry and possibly X-rated Serbian.

Unfortunately for Andy Murray, his own game is not touched with its occasional genius to keep his serve as safe as it should be.

The Scot gets worked over with the familiar drop-shot-then-volley one-two punch that Djokovic has been landing with all day as the duo slog their way to 30-30.

Murray finds his way through to a hold. This set might be there for him though if he can find his best form.

David, Sheffield: Djokovic is basically as dominant as Federer was in his prime, but this time around there's no superhuman Rafa on clay to stop him winning the lot.

A forceful Murray backhand down the line and a duff sliced backhand from Djokovic give the Scot 15-30. A glimmer?

Oh, that was close. Djokovic allowed a Murray groundstroke to float past him as he scurried backwards. Djokovic judged it right, but only just. The ball touching down a whisker beyond the baseline.

Murray is over-eager as he pushes long to fold out of the game.

Image source, Getty Images

Pat Cash
1987 Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"It looks like Murray has got over that bad patch, he's hitting the ball much more cleanly. He barely got out of that last service game alive, but seems to be hitting the ball well now."

Steve Rodgers: We're moving to an era of men's tennis where 1 man dominates more than ever before. Not his fault but bad for the game.

Pierre: Murray not had one single break point yet. Must be those pesky Djokovic 'mind games' again

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Murray is fighting valiantly against what feels horribly inevitable. Will that gutsy hold force a seismic shift in this match's momentum?

Novak Djokovic nicks the first two points and then gets a groundstroke to fly deep and true, getting right up in Murray's grill, to bring up 15-40.

Two break points. A bruising Murray serve down the middle defends the first, before Djokovic overcooks on the second.

Murray is giving himself an intense pep-talk. There is no way back if he is broken here...

And he isn't as Djokovic produces some long, long overdue errors from deuce.

Ian, Manchester: There's no shame in it, but the harsh reality is that Andy Murray is a million miles away from Djokovic's level. That's just pretty much unarguable.

Max, Birmingham: Djokovic is just a machine. Murray is an outstanding player and would beat anyone else or Djokovic himself if he wasn't playing at superhuman level. If he loses then it's down to Djokovic's relentless play, not lack of effort from Andy. C'mon Murray.

Plus ca change.

Djokovic is just playing business-class tennis, while Murray is unable to upgrade from cattle.

A delicious backhand stop volley from Djokovic kicks off his racquet face at such a tight angle and with such vicious spin that is almost doing laps of the umpires chair as Murray chases after it in vain.

That is 30-15, and a booming ace makes it 40-15. Murray is worked over at the back of the court, before Djokovic finally crashes away a smash to exhaust his defences and seal the game.

The drop-shot continues to harvest points for Novak Djokovic, luring Andy Murray in and then bopping away a backhand winner for 30-15.

A framed return high, looping and out followed by a Murray ace close out the game.

The first two sets have followed a template. Tight in the early stages before Djokovic feathers the accelerator and pulls clear. Will this one keep to that pattern?

Novak Djokovic's serve - yet to be broken in this match, yet to even have a break point against it - is still looking bulletproof. Andy Murray cannot lay a glove on the Serb as he steams though to another hold.

Murray's serve meanwhile is an endangered species out there...

This much-vaunted storm that we have been warned about all day is beginning to brew up. Andy Murray has to regather his ball toss a couple of times as the wind starts to gust around Philippe Chatrier.

Murray keeps his mind on the job and eye on the ball though as he serves out to love.

He might just welcome an apocalyptic storm though and a chance to break Djokovic's momentum with a rain delay.

It is a long, long, long way back for Andy Murray now. The tennis equivalent of a returning to Dunblane from the French capital on foot.

Novak Djokovic is just pounding harder and more accurately from the baseline. The longer the rallies go on, so the probability of Djokovic winning the point rises. Murray needs to go hunting the lines, strangle the points from the start and hope he hits a purple patch of winners.

Former British number one Greg Rusedski:, external Djokovic playing flawless tennis at the moment. Looking unstoppable.

Image source, EPA

Pat Cash
1987 Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"If that was a shot from a club player he would get laughed at. There might be a bit of wind picking up but I'm not making excuses for Andy Murray. That was not a good sign."

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent on Radio 5 live sports extra

"That was a shot of a man who does not believe it is going to be his day. Murray needs to do something extraordinary if he is not going to lose an eighth successive match to Novak Djokovic."

Ouch.

I'm afraid that was the shot of a mentally-shot man.

An ace helped Andy Murray peg back Novak Djokovic to 15-30, but relentless depth and power from the Serb bring up two break and set points.

And Murray bows out of the second set with a shocker of a stroke. A bounce-smash with aeons to think it over and Djokovic planted helpless in midcourt is a gimme.

But Murray blazes long over the baseline to gasps from the Philippe Chatrier crowd.

Image source, AP

Phil: The scoreline may say otherwise but Murray isn't far behind in the match. If he can cut out the errors he can make this a contest.

Paul Staveley: Murray is a phenomenal player but Djokovic has absolutely got his number. Not sure he'll ever beat him again, to be honest.

Andy Murray needs to mass the troops and ambush the Novak Djokovic serve soon.

It is going to have to be the next game if at all. From 15-15, Djokovic clouts two clean-as-a-whistle aces down the T to move ahead and seals the game with a lovely dampened volley at the net.

Pat Cash
1987 Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"Murray and Djokovic are the in-form clay court players. But who cares who wins the early tournaments - they don't really mean much. For the first few weeks on clay, players are finding their legs. It is the latter stage of the clay court season that matters."

Russell Fuller
BBC tennis correspondent on Radio 5 live sports extra

"Good fight from Murray - absolutely crucial that he held there. He is just about within touching distance."