Second-round result:

A MURRAY (GB) v J NIEMINEN (Fin)

7-6 (7-5) 6-3

* denotes server

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By Sam Lyon

SECOND SET

"Good win for Murray, who always raises his game when needed."
EileenToupis on 606

Murray 6-3 Nieminen
Muzza saves his best tennis for a ruthless finish, bludgeoning Nieminen into submission with a couple of blistering ground-strokes that the Finn just can't return. An ace keeps Nieminen in the game briefly, and the Finn saves a match point when Murray sends a forehand wide. But an excellent wide return and volley brings up Muzza's second match-point and he seals it when Nieminen passes long.

Vital win for the Scot, that, and his Shanghai dream remains alive - he is, briefly at least, up to 10th in the Masters race and three points behind Haas in eighth. Novak Djokovic or Fabrice Santoro are up next for Murray - come through that test and he would deserve a spot in Shanghai you feel.

Murray 5-3 Nieminen
Nieminen, for the first time in the match to give him credit, is looking a little desperate as he throws in a drop-shot and ambitious lob in an attempt to get back into the match. Murray senses his opponent's frustration and brings out a couple of inspired passes to hold to 15. This could all be over soon folks...

Murray is still doing his usual - going off the boil for a game or two during a match - which is slightly worrying. But he seems to be able to step it up a notch as well."
incredibleAldo on 606

Murray 4-3 Nieminen
A brief glimpse of emotion from Nieminen as he goes two break-points down thanks to some renewed vigour on Murray's forehand. The first goes awry when the Scot punches wide, but he makes no mistake with the second with a fine backhand volley at the net into the open court - will that finally break Nieminen's dogged resistance?

Murray 3-3 Nieminen
It looks better from Murray, who cruises to 40-15 up, but a strop at some flash photography court-side seems to break his concentration and he throws down a couple of double faults. He gives himself a verbal backlash and wins the next two points to hold. A shot of coach Brad Gilbert in the stand sees the American calling for Murray to "focus". Wise words...

Murray 2-3 Nieminen
Nieminen looks to be cruising to a solid hold, but Murray finds fourth - well, maybe third - gear to bring the game to deuce. He then brings up break-back point with a fabulous running forehand that Nieminen fails to return, and a sliced backhand brings Murray back on serve.

"Murray has the skill to take Nieminen, but the consistency may be his downfall. Come on Andy!"
gg-man on 606

Murray 1-3 Nieminen
More shrieks and yelps from Murray as he pushes a backhand long and then a simple forehand volley wide to hand Nieminen three break points. A couple of serves out wide help him save the first two, and Nieminen has no answer to the third either thanks in the main to a tremendous cross-court forehand. It fails to break Nieminen's spirit, though, and the Finn brings up another break point with a fine forehand on the baseline. A successful challenge when a pass on the baseline is called long brings a brief reprieve for Murray, but Nieminen takes the replayed point to seal the first break of the match.

Murray 1-2 Nieminen
The match continues as it did in the first, with Murray producing moments of sublime skill but failing to do so consistently enough to break Nieminen's endeavour. The Finn holds to 30 thanks in the main to a mix of good defence and a couple of Murray errors, and it looks like we're in for another tight set people...

Murray 1-1 Nieminen
A brief glimmer for Nieminen, who goes 15-30 up thanks to a forced error on the backhand side from Murray, and the Scot then sends a forehand long off a deep return to bring the game to deuce. However, Muzza holds thanks to a couple of fine ground strokes.

Murray 0-1 Nieminen
More skilled defence from Nieminen, who has caused Murray problems without ever dominating in Paris, and he holds to 15 courtesy of a fabulous lob and an overhead smash.

FIRST SET

"Murray managed to retrieve a nail biter from what should have been a procession in that set."
barrystar on 606

Murray 7-6 (7-5) Nieminen
Wary of the threat of Nieminen on his second serve, Murray starts to put a little juice into them and it helps him out a couple of times with his first serve starting to falter a touch. At 3-3, Nieminen looks the happier with his game and Murray gifts the Finn a mini-break with a lazy drop-shot attempt that falls woefully short of the net. The Scot battles back superbly, though, firing down an ace and then taking the next two points against serve, the second with a fabulous return at Nieminen's feet. It's all the opening he needs as Nieminen nets a return and that's a crucial victory in the first set for Muzza.

Murray 6-6 Nieminen
Well well well, Nieminen takes the set into a tie-break with his easiest game of the match, holding to love against an error-strewn Murray.

By the way, for those of you who can remember back to our Wimbledon coverage, the much-loved BBC Sport Mole has just wandered through the office. Asked if he wanted to comment on Murray's progress, he was unequivocal. "No," said the grumpy insectivore.

"Excellent and vital hold. Watch Murray take the set now."
dj_mcav on 606

Murray 6-5 Nieminen
First signs of frustration from Murray, who berates himself when Nieminen's forehand down the line forces the error to take the game to 15-30. A stunning first-serve out wide helps draw Murray level, but a risky drop-shot hits the net to bring Nieminen to deuce for the first time in the match. A double fault gifts Nieminen a surprise break point, but Murray pulls a forehand out of the top draw to save it. He has to do the same with a backhand overhead volley when he concedes another break point soon after, and goes on to hold with a couple of fine serve-volleys. Crucial hold.

Murray 5-5 Nieminen
Stunning work from Murray on point one, finding a sublime drop-shot that Nieminen somehow scrambles back before firing lazily into the open court for the winner. The Finn digs deep again, though, and battles to hold to 30 with some good pressure tennis.

Murray 5-4 Nieminen
Murray has dropped just one point on serve so far and Nieminen has no answer. The Scot mixes up an overhead-volleyed winner, a fabulous cross-court winning forehand and an ace to hold to love yet again and Nieminen will serve to stay in the first set.

Murray 4-4 Nieminen
Ooh - the first challenge of the match comes from Murray - and it's a good one! TV replays showed the Scot's fabulous lobbed pass grazed the line and he goes 30-15 up. Nieminen holds on once again, though, aided by a couple of fierce serves to Murray's body and we're all square after eight games.

"Murray is looking good but the draw is too hard, he wont do it. He should just be glad he's in with a chance considering the injury lay-off."
kingsaaan on 606

Murray 4-3 Nieminen
Nieminen is starting to try different things on Murray's serve, rushing the net or throwing in the odd drop-shot, but it makes little difference as the Scot ruthlessly closes out to love.

Murray 3-3 Nieminen
Only Nieminen's superb defensive work is keeping him near Murray on his own serve at the moment. The Scot looks to have worked point-sealing openings on three occasions, only for Nieminen to find an excellent return or punch volley to keep Murray honest. A fabulous forehand on the baseline keeps Muzza in the game, but another serve-volley sees Nieminen hold to 30.

Murray 3-2 Nieminen
Nieminen has his first glimmer of hope on the Murray serve - in the form of a solitary point when the Scot sends a forehand long - but it's another comfortable hold. If Muzza can just make one of his break chances count, you get the feeling this one's for the taking quickly...

"Come on Andy you have to make one of those break points count."
incredibleAldo on 606

Murray 2-2 Nieminen
Excellent work from Murray, producing a running cross-court winner and delightful lob on his way to bringing up two more break points at 40-15. For the sixth and seventh time already this match, though, he lets Nieminen back in with a couple of casual ground-strokes and the Finn holds with some fabulous defence before volleying home at the net for the winner.

Murray 2-1 Nieminen
No such problems on his own serve for Murray, who batters Nieminen into submission with a hold to love. Even at these early stages, the signs look good for Muzza...

Murray 1-1 Nieminen
The early signs are that Nieminen is targeting Murray's backhand and, after sending a forehand wide on point one, it pays dividends as two errors put the Finn 30-15 up. A fine pick-up into the open court following a drop-shot brings Murray level, though, and after conceding the next point with a long backhand, a smashed forehand on the line brings up deuce. Excellent aggression on his ground strokes helps Murray to five break-point opportunities but he fails to take any and Nieminen withstands the pressure to hold with a punch into the open court.

"I think Murray stands a great chance of qualifying for Shanghai and, to some extent, deserves it when taking into account the fact that he has played so well during the latter stages of the season, despite his 3-4 month absence in between."
2ndServe-Ace on 606

Murray 1-0 Nieminen
Murray serves first and it's a fine opening from the Scot. Full of first-serves, Murray pushes Nieminen about the court, finding a cross-court winner and then forcing three errors to take the game to love. Lest we forget, Murray entered this tournament on the back of a minor car crash on Monday... no sign at all of any problems so far...

"Murray is the real deal - he has a real chance of making Shanghai. Without the injury lay off he'd be 4th in the world."
Phil, Baker St via text

1009: So, a bit of chat about the race for the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. The top eight in the ATP race qualify but even now, with this the last Masters series this season, it's all a wee bit up in the air to be honest. Even David Nalbandian, down in 25th, has a chance to qualify for the prestigious end-of-season tournament because the winner of this tournament will add 100 points to their season haul - which could be enough to take the Argentine above Tommy Haas in eighth.

For his part, Murray is just three points off Haas, with Tommy Robredo, Tomas Berdych and James Blake also sitting above the Scot as we stand. Simply put, Murray has to win today to stand any chance of reaching Shanghai and progress thereafter must be checked against his closest rivals. He's in form, though, so who knows...

For the full run-down of how it stands in the Masters race, web users can check out the link below...

1000: So here we go for one last time this year.... or maybe not. This is the final event of the regular season but our man Murray can extend his year if he does something special in Paris. He will need to reach at least the quarters, and probably further, if he is to qualify for the eight-man Masters Cup in Shanghai later in the month.

The first man standing in his way is cheery Finn Nieminen. Cheery and worryingly in form. Only last week, the 26-year-old from Masku beat Guillermo Canas, Fernando Gonzalez and Marcos Baghdatis before losing to Roger Federer in Basel.