Murray leans out wide and steers a backhand return winner for 0-30 and an early chance to really take charge of this contest. Gasquet gets one back and then has the Briton scurrying all over the 12th arrondissement (I googled that), sending him almost into the first row as he tries in vain to recover an angled volley. A hold for Gasquet.

Another Gasquet error as the nerves bite and it's 8-7, set point number two for Murray....

What a point! Murray is forced into a lob volley, Gasquet sends up a huge lob that Murray only steers back, but given a second chance he puts it away and clinches the set after a gripping 74 minutes.

Image source, EPA

Kept honest at the baseline by Murray, Gasquet cracks and goes for too much with an ambitious backhand down the line, 5-5. It's still his serve though, and Murray is unusually slow to a forehand which he sends long. 6-5, set point for Gasquet....

Ridiculous. Gasquet clips the sideline with a forehand, moves forward and can only look despairingly as Murray's sliced backhand floats past him and drops on the line. Gasquet's coach Sergi Bruguera appears less than chuffed by that.

A loose one from Gasquet and it's now 7-6, set point for Murray....

He nets a backhand.

Image source, EPA

Gasquet frames one into the darker recesses of Paris Bercy on the opening point, and Murray gets the first mini-break when the Frenchman hooks a forehand wide. Given a sniff, Murray steps it up and really works Gasquet's legs, thumping a forehand into the corner for 3-1 and setting things up well on the next point. It comes as a surprise when he then sends a regulation backhand long to give back the break, and Gasquet holds for 3-3.

Gasquet moves forward, Murray cannot land the pass - 4-3 to the Frenchman. Murray then gets his feet stuck in the carpet and balloons a forehand long, following up with some industrial language. A serve-volley keeps him alive, 5-4 to Gasquet....

Gasquet makes a hash of a volley on the first point but gets back in front with a bit of muscle on serve and with an overhead, prompting some traditional French brass bandery in the stands. A big second serve helps him to the game and it's tie-break time.

Gasquet falls a little flat after that burst of form, missing with a couple of returns and then giving Murray a straightforward volley to clip away - a love hold.

"It's been uncomfortably mild for November," says BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller on 5 live sports extra. I'm sure all our thoughts are with him at this time.

Gasquet holds to love, throwing in a delicious drop shot along the way, and he looks the more likely right now. Murray's on-court commentary is well under way but, rest assured, I will only bring you pre-watershed highlights.

Image source, Getty Images

Murray mixes things up a bit at 30-0, endangering the health of a line judge with a first serve that just about bounces inside the baseline, and moments later producing a beautiful backhand lob that proves too much for Gasquet.

A double fault suggests Murray is wobbling a little, going from 40-0 to 40-30, but Gasquet obliges with a forehand into the net and the Scot has his first game in four.

Murray clenches his fist and glances up towards coach Jonas Bjorkman and the team, after crunching a backhand winner into the corner for 15-30.

A loose return follows, but at 30-30 he has Gasquet scrambling after a forehand - only to see the Frenchman send it back across him for game point. Gasquet's first ace follows and with it cries of "Richard! Richard!"

Image source, Getty Images

Gasquet gets an incredible angle off a backhand return that draws the error, and a first real burst of classic Murray chuntering, before the Frenchman steps in and sweeps away a backhand return for 0-40. Three break points...

Murray dominates the rally, opens up the space - and thumps a forehand into the net. We're back on serve, and the president of the French tennis federation gives it a bit of fist-pump from the VIP seats.

Wonderful food, beautiful architecture, a philosopher on every corner, haughty looks from impeccably dressed shop staff, a Richard Gasquet backhand winner down the line... there are many things that make Paris a magnificent city.

The Frenchman begins this game with a flourish as he swats a backhand past Murray, but the Scot quickly gets back to the more workmanlike business of moving his man relentlessly from side to side, drawing errors. There is a break point... but Gasquet holds on when Murray nets.

A cute drop shot seals the game.

* denotes server

Image source, Getty Images

That's better from Murray - a first serve, a Gasquet error, a terrific drop volley and an ace.

There is a little sliver of history on offer for Murray today, who has lost five previous semi-finals in Paris. A win this afternoon and he will join Djokovic, Federer and Nadal as the only players to reach the semis or better at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.

Probably not the achievement he dreamed of as a nipper, but another mark of his lofty status.

The afternoon crowd continues to filter in at the changeovers, with children being shushed (good luck with that) and latecomers shamed on the big screen and subsequently jeered. They know the rules.

Gasquet enjoys a quick hold of serve, wrapping it up with a backhand winner, and the Frenchman is well and truly in the contest now. Murray needs to get his first serve up and running.

Things get a bit tougher for Murray as his first serve goes for an afternoon stroll elsewhere in Paris, but he just about hangs on and consolidates the break.

A brilliant backhand winner and a toe-clipping half volley take the Briton close to the finish line but a double fault and a backhand buried in the net drag him back, handing Gasquet a break point.... but the Frenchman goes wild and long with a backhand.

Another break point for Gasquet... net cord, quick feet rearrangement and forehand hooked over the net and into the corner - good stuff that from Murray.

Break point number three.... time for a bit of serve and volley.

Murray then finds all the angles with his forehand, making the court seem like a table tennis table, and the second seed holds after 11 minutes.

No, he cannot. Murray leans into a backhand return and sends it flying for a clean winner and 0-40, three break points... only one is required as a tentative Gasquet nets a forehand on the wrong end of a baseline exchange.

Image source, Piers Newbery

Murray will hope to avoid any slip-ups on court this afternoon - as well as aerial bombardments off court.

The Briton was surprised during a changeover yesterday, as one of the Parisian ball girls got her angles wrong and struck the world number three in the midriff with a fuzzy yellow missile.

Lorenza later apologised and wished Murray good luck, prompting him to respond:, external "adorable, gave me a little fright but it woke me up, see you tomorrow lorenza."

Things look a little dicey when Murray sends a forehand into the tram lines for 30-30, but an ace down the middle is an encouraging sign and the Briton comes through after a couple of deuces. Into his third match of the week and Murray has still dropped four games, can Gasquet make it five?

* denotes next to serve

There is live commentary under way on 5 live sports extra - just click the link at the top of the page - with BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller discussing Murray's scheduling issues with Daily Mail correspondent Mike Dickson, who says: "There is a view that says just get out there and play, and see what happens.

"In fairness, Murray has a bit of a history in struggling to change surfaces and it's a tricky ask, people shouldn't underestimate it."

Image source, Getty Images

The good news for Gasquet is that he should get hearty backing from his home French crowd, if sufficient numbers turn up, and he has had a strong year, rising from 26th to ninth in the world and reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon and quarter-finals at the US Open.

He also has a dreamy single-handed backhand.

The players are out on court in front of an early afternoon crowd that is sparse, I think it's fair to say. There's a long afternoon and evening ahead though, no point in overdoing it.