Murray makes limp exit in Paris

French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Date: 23 May-6 June
Coverage: Live video streamed from 1000 BST on BBC Sport website (UK only) and BBC red button; commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra; also live on Eurosport; text commentary on BBC Sport website Details of BBC coverage

Murray's French Open campaign ended a round earlier than it did in 2009

By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros

British number one Andy Murray's campaign at the French Open ended on a darkening Court Suzanne Lenglen after he was comprehensively outplayed by 15th seed Tomas Berdych.

The Czech player faced just one break point in the match as he ran out a 6-4 7-5 6-3 winner in two hours and 16 minutes to set up a quarter-final against Russia's Mikhail Youzhny.

It is only the second time he has made the last eight of a Grand Slam and he denies Murray the opportunity to at least match last year's run to the quarter-finals.

The encounter was scheduled as the fourth and last match on Court Suzanne Lenglen and when the rain arrived with the Czech leading 6-4 3-4 at 8pm local time, it seemed that would be it for the day.

606: DEBATE So, once again Andy crashes out to a "power player". Where have we heard that before? MurrayMagic101

But the weather cleared sufficiently for another 50 minutes of play and things went from bad to worse for fourth seed Murray as he dropped serve again to fall two sets behind, before two breaks in the third set brought a swift conclusion.

It was the third time in seven days that Murray had played on Roland Garros's second show court and, after the five-set win over Richard Gasquet and a four-set defeat of Marcos Baghdatis, he found himself up against an even tougher opponent.

Berdych has an uncomplicated game based around a strong serve, heavy, flat groundstrokes and attacking anything short, and this straightforward approach was too much for Murray.

Maybe it looks like it was really comfortable but we both were fighting - but I deserved to win Tomas Berdych

The Scot faced break points in four of his five service games in the first set, reserving his best moments for rescuing himself, but serving at 49% he was giving Berdych too many chances to tee off with big returns and then dominate from the forecourt.

Berdych's conversion rate on the break points was poor but, facing little or no pressure on his own serve, he needed to take just one and did so when Murray netted a limp backhand in game eight.

The Czech served out the set easily enough and when light rain began to fall in the opening rally of the second set it appeared to disturb Murray more, a word to the umpire falling on deaf ears, as he let a 40-0 lead slip to hand over another break with a forehand into the net.

Berdych won his last meeting with Murray in Adelaide in 2006

With Lenglen increasingly gloomy as the thunderous clouds rolled in, the match was fast becoming a nightmare for the British number one as he looked fragile on serve and impotent on the return.

Finally, Murray earned a break point after dominating a baseline exchange for one of the few times in the opening 77 minutes and, after Berdych had a quick conversation with the umpire about the balls, he put a backhand into the tramlines to let the world number four into the match for the first time.

Murray was by now more solid on serve and had moved 4-3 clear when the rain that had threatened all day truly arrived.

The players headed for the locker room at soon after 8pm local time and the stadium cleared as the chances of a resumption seemed non-existent, but within 40 minutes the Roland Garros officials had them back out.

Berdych did well to play a solid service game first up and he took a stranglehold on the match in game 11 when two fierce returns off either wing gave him a crucial break, which he had no trouble in backing up with a swift service game to take a two-set lead.

The clocked ticked past 9pm but on they went, and Murray's hopes of extending the match into a second day all but disappeared when a double-fault and a backhand error gave Berdych the break for 4-3 in the third set.

Berdych was in no mood to hang around, attacking the Murray serve relentlessly to earn three match points in game nine and taking the second with a heavy return that Murray just could not handle.

"There was the delay and the darkness, maybe I handled it better than he did," said Berdych.

"The balls were covered in clay, they were all brown and were tough to see and the court was really wet. My coach told me that Andy looked like he didn't want to play.

"Maybe it looks like it was really comfortable but we both were fighting. But I deserved to win."

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