The plot just thickened.

Novak Djokovic splatters a forehand wide to give Andy Murray 0-30 and his best chance yet of a break of serve.

But the world number one's tennis improves just as health apparently declines. Djokovic pulls out of his next service action, putting his hand across his brow. But wins the point.

More apparent problems for Djokovic as he pulls his eyes wide as the camera zooms in for a close-up. And then wins another point.

A dead-eyed drop-shot, measured to perfection, sees off the danger.

Echos of Djokovic's Australian Open performance which Murray complained about post-defeat.

Matthew Birch: Andy and Novak are outrageous. Made of rubber. I don't think that there is a higher level of sport in the world than these two.

Carys Newton: Some absolutely gorgeous tennis at RG today! Both Murray and Djokovic are at the top of their game!

Paul Thompson: The way this match has started, the light could be the winner today. We may not see a winner until tomorrow!

Image source, AP

Miaow...

Novak Djokovic is on the rough end of the crowd's cat calls after he grizzles about some movement in the stands.

Andy Murray has packed his bags and ventured to the net on a couple of occasions, but he has overcooked that backhand approach. 30-30.

Back and forth, bish and bash they go and it is Murray who eventually crumbles placing the 22nd and last shot of the next rally wide. Break point Djokovic.

Murray faces down the danger through, grinding down Djokovic in the next monster rally before firing down a concussive ace to clock out.

Image source, Reuters

Andy Murray gives Novak Djokovic a wobbly moment at 30-30, but the Scot's attempted drop-shot is not quite as deftly delivered or as disguised as Djokovic's versions.

The Serb scoots forward and swats a winner sideways and well out of reach.

Philippe Chatrier is gradually filling back up after the crowd headed for drinks in the wake of Wawrinka v Tsonga.

Sandy: Friday, beer, sunshine, pizza and Murray v Djokovic. Sorted.

Matthew Riordan: Can't see past Djokovic winning. However, whatever the result, I expect the winner to claim the French Open title.

Nick Emmett: Come on Muzza make us proud! Awesome opening exchanges! Breathless already!

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

"Three big serves from Murray, two aces and a hard serve that Djokovic couldn't handle. Any short point on a hot day like today is good."

A service hold to 15, but there were a couple of worrying and interconnected details to that game for Andy Murray and his fans.

Firstly the overhead spidercam is getting in the Scot's eyeline and on his nerves.

After missing his first serve at 40-0 to the good and looking accusingly at the high-wire camera, Murray sees a second serve walloped back past him for a clean winner by Novak Djokovic.

The Murray second serve needs to be tougher to hit than that.

Richard Carter: Am in Vernouillet, about 35k west of Roland Garros and the mother of all thunderstorms is heading your way!

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

"At the moment the difference between the players is just a couple of great drop-shots. Both players have shown their intentions - it is a matter of who can last the longest."

Image source, AP

Third time lucky.

Finally Andy Murray runs down one of Novak Djokovic's teasing drop-shot, but he wastes his shot when he gets there, punting straight back to Djokovic who replies with a lob winner.

What could have been 30-15, turns to 40-0. And that is the last that Murray sees of that game.

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros

"As is traditional, Djokovic and Murray serve up an opening game that has the spectators gasping for air, let alone the combatants. Any free points on serve will feel like gifts from the gods this afternoon. Chatrier is barely half full as the locals get a breather and refreshment, while coming to terms with Tsonga's demise. Henri Leconte has just been seen walking down the corridor, deep in discussion. 'Everything is possible,' he says, mysteriously."

Already the standard of tennis is suffocatingly high.

The dropshot has made a welcome return in this year's tournament and Novak Djokovic rolls out a particularly fine specimen - dabbing a forehand from on the baseline and somewhere around his eyebrows to drop perfectly over the wire for 30-15.

Andy Murray slugs down the first ace of the game for 40-30, but another doozy of a dropper from Djokovic - loaded with backspin - takes us to deuce.

A forceful double-handed backhand down the line closes out the game for Murray. Nothing to pick between them from the first two games.

Stephen Sadler: Heart with Andy, wallet with Novak.

Up and at 'em.

Andy Murray takes the first point of the match. And the second as Novak Djokovic clumps long attempting to go down the line. A bit of pressure for Djokovic to deal with.

Pressure is what the world number one does though. You could take him to the down to the depths of the Marianas trench and he'd surface with only a mild headache to complain of.

Djokovic comes tip-toeing into the net, with footwork as precise as Michael Flatley, and drives away a mid-court bounce en route to 40-30. Murray flattens a forehand across court to buy his way to deuce, but is eventually barged out of the game.

The rallies are already long, lengthy exchanges of cat-and-mouse, bluff-and-double-bluff. If you are on your way home, this will still be a going concern by the time you step through the door.

Image source, Getty Images

The players are out on court knocking up, and Andy Murray has ditched the black shirt he has been sporting for his other matches here in favour of a bright white one.

Presumably that is a bid to beat the heat with the temperature still north of 30C. Or maybe he has reached the bottom of his suitcase after two weeks in Paris.

Right, Djokovic, in orange, to serve...

Image source, Getty Images

Does the name of Bunny Austin ring any bells? It sounds like a star of the silver screen, but it is actually the name of the last British male to reach the French Open final.

Austin - who apparently introduced shorts to the game of tennis - lost the Roland Garros showpiece in 1937. That's 78 years since we had a winner from these shores. It was only 77 years between Fred Perry's win at Wimbledon and Andy Murray's triumph at SW19....

Miles Maclagan
Former coach to Andy Murray and Laura Robson on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"The biggest difference in Andy Murray on clay this year has been mental. He has taken charge of points and gone after his second serve. He has been more of a frontrunner, more of a bullish presence on court."

Click on the audio icon at the top of this page to tune in.

Image source, EPA

First round: beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2 7-5 6-2

Second round: beat Gilles Muller 6-1 6-4 6-4

Third round: beat Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4 6-4 6-4

Fourth round: beat 20th seed Richard Gasquet 6-1 6-2 6-3

Quarter final: beat sixth seed Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-3 6-1

Total time on court: 10 hours and seven minutes

Image source, Getty Images

First round: beat Facundo Arguello 6-3 6-3 6-1

Second round: Joao Sousa 62 46 64 61

Third round: beat 29th seed Nick Kyrgios 6-4 6-2 6-3

Fourth round: beat Jeremy Chardy 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2

Quarter-final: beat seventh seed David Ferrer 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 5-7 6-1

Total time on court: 12 hours and 23 minutes

Image source, Reuters

Andy Murray speaking to ITV Sport: "The world number one tends to be the best player in the world. In the past there have been variations depending on the surface, Rafael Nadal on clay was very difficult, Roger Federer on grass.

"But I think this year the way that Novak has played, losing just one match since he lost to Ivo Karlovic at the beginning of the year, has been exceptional.

"I watched some videos of the matches that I have played against him this year in Australia, Indian Wells and Miami. There are some positives to take from those, I played the better tennis in some points in this match, it is all about executing the game plan for longer."