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Andy Murray dodges first-round upset at French Open

Andy Murray narrowly avoided defeat Tuesday at the French Open, edging out 37-year-old Radek Stepanek for a 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 first-round win.

Andy Murray avoided losing in the opening round of the French Open. (AP Photo)
Andy Murray avoided losing in the opening round of the French Open. (AP Photo)

Murray was taken to the limit by the 37-year-old Stepanek, who won the first two sets of the match on Monday.

The deficit proved to be a wake-up call for Murray. The Scotsman won the third set in under 20 minutes and built up a 4-2 lead in the fourth before the match was halted for the night.

Murray finished his comeback bid Tuesday, but not without more drama. Stepanek proved a tough opponent in the deciding fifth set, taking a 5-4 lead and once again pushing Murray to the edge of disaster.

The world No. 2 remained cool under pressure though, and won three straight games to finally advance to the second round.

Murray was the second top player to narrowly dodge defeat in the first round, as defending Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka also needed five sets to put away his opponent.

Murray is looking for his first French Open title. He has reached the semifinals three times in his career.