Is Andy Murray Headed Toward an Early Exit at the 2016 French Open?

Survive and advance is becoming Andy Murray’s motto at the 2016 French Open.

Walking a tightrope, Murray had to go the distance in each of his first two matches. What should have been relatively straightforward contests turned into angst-ridden epics. He was a popular pick to make the final, so his play so far is bewildering.

The second-seeded Murray compiled a 12-2 record this year and notched a dominant win over Novak Djokovic in the Rome final during the prelude to Roland Garros.

What has happened to that guy? We’ve yet to see him in the opening rounds.

Kicking things off against 37-year-old journeyman Radek Stepanek, Murray found himself with a cushy start to the tournament. Or so he thought. Stepanek threw the kitchen sink at him, dictating points from the baseline and darting to the net to cause further chaos.

The cagey veteran came to play. When the first two sets went Stepanek’s way, Murray found himself on the brink of his earliest Grand Slam defeat since the 2008 Australian Open.

Forced to dig deep, Murray’s inner fire pulled him out of his malaise. He’d bagel Stepanek in the third set, eventually earning a break in the fourth before fading light suspended the match. 

Murray finally completed the 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 comeback the next day. Not that it was easy. Stepanek led 5-4 in the decisive set, coming within two points of victory. But in the pressure moments, Murray raised his level and showed grit.

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