• French Open, Day Three

Murray crushes Prodon in Paris

Andy Murray's movement around the court was excellent © PA Photos

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French Open: Day Three - Gallery

Plays of the day

Andy Murray opened up his French Open campaign with a confident 6-4 6-1 6-3 win over Eric Prodon.

The French qualifier was an unknown quantity to Murray and a potential banana skin in front of a partisan Paris crowd, but the British No. 1 fought off a break point in the opening game to keep the spectators on Suzanne Lenglen court quiet.

Murray secured the first break of the match in the fourth game, fighting back from 0-30 to take a 3-1 lead. Just when it looked like Murray would breeze through the opening set, Prodon found some deft touch around the net to break back.

But having secured the break, the Frenchman called the doctor and looked rather uncomfortable in his chair. And it showed in the next game as Murray was handed a break to secure the opening set.

Whatever was troubling Prodon continued into the second set as he was overwhelmed by Murray. The Scot won 15 of the last 16 points to canter into a two-set lead.

Murray is never one to make life as easy as possible for himself and a couple of weak groundstrokes handed Prodon a break point and the Frenchman lit up the crowd with a glorious dropshot to steal the advantage in the third.

So often in the past, Murray has allowed his opponents back into matches from positions of authority but he has looked far more positive in his body language in recent weeks and a couple of rasping forehands earned him an immediate break back.

Murray's demonstration of authority sapped the life out of Prodon who, having called the trainer out once again, surrendered meekly.

Murray moved to within a game of the match with his fifth love service hold and he rolled over Prodon with excellent footwork and brilliant disguise on both forehand and backhand.

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