A MURRAY GB v J BENNETEAU Fr

7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 6-1

Interview: Andy Murray

By Mike Burnett

Fourth set:

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 6-1 Benneteau
They've been on Centre Court for just 26 minutes and it is all over as the British star wraps it up with his third break of serve. Judy Murray, mother of the tennis prodigy, looks delighted and the young Scot scribbles down a few autographs for some keen fans before leaving the spotlight. Murray will be hoping today's action is the perfect work-out for Saturday's third-round showdown with Wimbledon heavyweight Andy Roddick.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 5-1 Benneteau
Everything seems to be going right for the Dunblane teenager, who's proving master of the baseline. Hang on, spoke too soon, Murray has let himself slump to 40-40 on his serve. Benneteau is given a glimmer of hope but Murray holds it together to leave himself serving for the match.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 4-1 Benneteau
Murray seems to have put the disappointing conclusion to yesterday's play truly behind him as he fires up the fans with a double break against an error-strewn Benneteau. 'Murray the consummate professional' rather than 'Murray the emotional teenager' seems to be the player who's turned up to Centre Court today and Britain's better for it.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 3-1 Benneteau
The Centre Court crowd can sniff victory for Murray as the home favourite consolidates his lead by comfortably holding serve. Benneteau looks frustrated and unfocused as he finds himself outduelled in baseline battles.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 2-1 Benneteau
Murray goes for some Henman-like fist pumping after earning three break points with a forehand passing shot. The young Scot converts the second to take a vital lead and delight the Murray fanatics.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 1-1 Benneteau
It's a confident service game for Murray, keen to stop the rot and earn his place in the third round.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 0-1 Benneteau
It's the perfect restart for Benneteau who eases to a love-service game in the fourth-set opener. Murray's looking tense and will still be reeling from conceding the last set before bad light suspended play.

"Andy needs to get more of those first serves in."
BBC summariser John McEnroe

1603: Murray makes his entrance onto Centre Court with Benneteau and receives just the sort of rousing applause that you'd expect from the partisan crowd.

1557: With Max Mirnyi completing his five-set upset over eighth-seed James Blake, Centre Court now prepares for the arrival of Scottish firebrand Andy Murray to resume his second-round clash with Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

THURSDAY'S ACTION:

By Sophie Brown

Third set:

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-6 Benneteau
Benneteau is trying to force the issue and his aggressive play is rewarded by an outrageous lucky netcord, which gives him set point. And the Frenchman snatches the third set when Murray hits long. The young Scot immediately stomps to his chair to pick up his bags as the umpire calls play to a halt because of the gloomy 9 o'clock light.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-5 Benneteau
What looks like a straightforward service game for the Frenchman turns into an opportunity for Murray as Benneteau goes from 40-15 to break point down. Further distraction comes from a pigeon which Benneteau nearly decapitates with his ball toss. He saves the break point and then rescues another with an ace. It's a nine-minute game in which the tension is palpable - or in Murray's case, audible, as he unleashes a couple of choice expletives in frustration at not finishing his opponent off.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-4 Benneteau
Murray is rushing a bit, some errors creep in and he goes 0-40 down. He saves the first break point but a mishit forehand then balloons out and it's back on serve.

"Benneteau may not be playing his best tennis but he's enjoying his moment out here and you have to respect him for that."
BBC summariser John McEnroe

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-3 Benneteau
Benneteau is furious when his smash is called out and argues with umpire about it. But he shrugs off the disappointment to hold serve to 30.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 4-2 Benneteau
Both players are left heaving for breath after a couple of exhausting rallies. Murray saves a break point but barely has the strength left to pump his fist. He clinches the game by wrong-footing Benneteau, who again ends up sprawled on the turf.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 3-2 Benneteau
Benneteau pulls off the shot at the match, a diving volley at the net to deny Murray who had just produced an excellent retrieving shot of his own. The Frenchman also displays his keepy-uppy skills, drawing appreciation from the crowd.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 3-1 Benneteau
Maybe there are merits to the shirt manoeuvre as Benneteau works his way to 15-40 on Murray's serve. But full marks to Murray, who plays two confident points - including a drop-shot, which he has finally cracked - to hold serve.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 2-1 Benneteau
Benneteau holds to 15 but still looks a bit shell-shocked as he sits down at the change of ends. He changes his shirt - he'd be better off changing his tactics.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 2-0 Benneteau
Murray comes up with his fastest serve of the day (132mph) to win the game - he's now won eight of the last nine.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 1-0 Benneteau
Teenagers usually want to stay out late but Murray seems desperate to call it a day, again asking the umpire what time they will be finishing. Don't know why because at the moment he's playing the best he's played in the match. He breaks with a swinging forehand drive volley.

Second set:

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 Benneteau
Murray is on a roll now, yelling and clenching his fist as he moves to 40-0 and three set points. Just one is needed, Benneteau's attacking forehand going wide.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 5-4 Benneteau
Neither player has been playing consistently well and since going 3-0 up, Benneteau has been particularly guilty of patchy play with some of his shots as dodgy as his highlights. But he manages to end the losing streak - now he needs to break to avoid going down two sets to love.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 5-3 Benneteau
At last a drop-shot that pays off for Murray, who gets positively animated as he clinches his fifth game in a row.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 4-3 Benneteau
Murray looks as fed up as a teenager who has lost the battery to his Ipod as he goes down 30-0. But there's sweet music coming out of his racquet when he passes Benneteau down the forehand side. He then gets a break point, which he converts as the Frenchman scoops a forehand wide.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 3-3 Benneteau
Maybe Murray has a point about the condition of the grass as Benneteau ends up on his backside after slipping at the net. And it's his time to have a moan at the umpire as he again loses his footing on the final point of the game, which Murray wins.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 2-3 Benneteau
Murray takes a spectacular tumble at the net and rolls over clutching his strapped-up ankle. He gets up gingerly but looks to be running quite freely. An error from his racquet causes him to swipe the baseline, taking out a divot Colin Montgomerie would be proud of. But there's a happier outcome to the game for the Scot as a net-cord goes his way to allow him to break back. Once again, Murray ends up in a heap on the floor and complains to the umpire about the slippiness of the court. "What time are we playing until?" asks Murray a tad optimistically given that the sun is still shining.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 1-3 Benneteau
Murray is still struggling with shot selection but gets off the mark in the second set.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 0-3 Benneteau
The stubborn teenager in Murray comes out again as he tries another drop-shot - once again it doesn't pay off. Suddenly he's 3-0 down in the second set.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 0-2 Benneteau
Murray is persisting in using the drop-shot, even though it's clearly not working. He goes 15-40 down and Benneteau breaks with a backhand winner.

Murray 7-6 (7-5) 0-1 Benneteau
Murray has a chance to break but his forehand drive lands just the wrong side of the sideline. Benneteau holds.

First set:

Murray 7-6 (7-5) Benneteau
It's not great tennis but Murray clinches the set at the first opportunity. The highlight of the tiebreak comes when Murray chases down two Benneteau smashes before finally succumbing. Benneteau produces a sublime crosscourt winner at the end of a long point but then double-faults to give Murray set point. A first-serve winner gives first blood to the Scot.

Murray 6-6 Benneteau
Murray gives hope to park players everywhere with two completely duff shots - one a drop and the other a mistimed drive. Benneteau doesn't drop a point as he holds serve to force the tiebreak.

"I bet if we were to sneak on court right now and have a word with the players, neither would be happy with the way they are playing."
BBC summariser John McEnroe

Murray 6-5 Benneteau
Two pigeons, who clearly haven't appreciated how finely poised the set currently is, land on the court and inevitably get the biggest cheer of the day. Murray tries to shoo them away by rolling tennis balls at them - and then gets on with the business of holding serve.

Murray 5-5 Benneteau
There's an feeling of anticipation as Murray wins the first point of the game. But it comes to nought and Benneteau holds to 30.

Murray 5-4 Benneteau
Murray is targeting the Benneteau forehand and it's paying dividends. He skips triumphantly to his chair after holding serve to win his third game on the trot.

Murray 4-4 Benneteau
Benneteau double-faults to go 0-40 down and Murray seizes his chance - now the crowd are really beginning to get involved.

Murray 3-4 Benneteau
Murray holds serve and gets an encouraging ovation from the crowd.

Murray 2-4 Benneteau
Benneteau holds comfortably - he has now won 10 of the last 11 points. Murray does come up with a crosscourt passing winner on the run but there's an anxious air around Centre Court. Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears looks unamused in the players' box. With her fashionably oversized sunglasses, she could rival Posh and Colleen in the England WAG stakes. Expect to read about her in next week's Grazia.

Murray 2-3 Benneteau
Benneteau produces a couple of aggressive returns and suddenly Murray is 0-40 down. The Scot then comes up with an awful drop-shot that hands the break to the Frenchman.

Murray 2-2 Benneteau
Benneteau does well to hold after Murray has three chances to break. Murray's first stroppy teenager racquet-bouncing bout comes after he misses the third break point.

Murray 2-1 Benneteau
Murray holds serve much more comfortably this time. Both men look happy to slug it out from the baseline - don't expect to pick up any serve-and-volley tips in this match.

Murray 1-1 Benneteau
Benneteau holds serve. It's an edgy start from both players, who appear to be having a bit of trouble with their footing.

Murray 1-0 Benneteau
Centre Court is packed and no doubt millions more around the UK are tuning in for some traditional Britain's-finest-in-action-at-teatime-at-Wimbledon fare. Murray goes 15-40 down in his opening service game but does well to recover and hold.

"If Murray wants to show he is capable of getting to the top of the game, this is the sort of match that if he needs to win."
BBC summariser John McEnroe

Andy Murray, now Britain's leading hope at this year's Wimbledon, will be playing Frenchman Julien Benneteau for a place in the third round.

The Scottish teenager revelled in the Centre Court atmosphere in the first round when he was an impressive straight-sets winner over 31st seed Nicolas Massu.