Published: 32 minutes ago
IT was as if nothing had happened.
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Andy Murray waltzed onto Court One here, nicknamed the Bullring, and promptly delivered an excellent all-round show to see off Colombian Santiago Giraldo and breeze into round four.
This, of course, was the same Murray who just 48 hours earlier looked totally down and out after a crippling back spasm had him serving like a pensioner enjoying a chilled-out hit in a local park.
Thankfully, the British No1 looked back to his best — and he had to be against Giraldo, who pushed him all the way in the Parisian sun.
When Murray struck the final winner to complete a two-hour 6-3 6-4 6-4 win, he gave out a fierce and roar and looked pretty darn pleased with himself.
And why not?
After all, the 25-year-old Scot has been through these last few days — staring elimination in the face, the problem with his back and being called a Drama Queen by Virginia Wade — he deserved to give himself a pat on the back.
His fitness team deserve a nice, cold drink as well.
the world No4 looked in decent shape here. There were the occasional grimaces and the odd holding of body parts, but that is the Murray way.
As one of my colleagues so beautifully put it, he was running around on the red dirt like a ‘demented whippet’.
Not bad for a bloke many had written off as too crocked to continue.
His serve was back to full force, tipping almost 133mph and some corking, crunching forehands flew off his racket.
One in particular, which helped break the battling 50th seed in the second set, was an absolute ripper.
It flew like a cross-court bullet over the net, leaving poor old Giraldo looking for some divine inspiration.
It never came.
Murray finished with 31 winners to Giraldo's 28 and just 20 unforced errors to the 24-year-old's 32.
He was aggressive, athletic and slap bang on his game.
Next up will be either Richard Gasquet or German Tommy Haas on Monday.
And on this evidence, neither will fancy playing Murray.
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