Andy Murray overcomes John Isner to reach French Open quarter-finals

Updated 29/05/2016 at 20:25 GMT

Britain's Andy Murray secured his place in the quarter-finals of the French Open after beating American John Isner in straight sets at Roland Garros.

Andy Murray celebrates during his French Open match against John Isner at Roland Garros

Image credit: Reuters

The second seed began the tournament scraping through back-to-back five-setters but has been a model of efficiency since and has his eyes fixed firmly on a first title at Roland Garros.

Isner took a 0-5 career record against Murray on to a murky Court Suzanne Lenglen but he stuck manfully to his task in the first set, denying the Briton the slightest whiff of a break.

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The 15th seed had three set points in the tie-break, the first of which, when serving at 6-5, he will be rueing.

Highlights: Murray battles past Isner to reach French Open quarter-finals

Murray reacted superbly to return a booming first serve and Isner then failed to make the most of an inviting mid-court forehand, giving the Briton the chance to ram a backhand past him as he advanced to the net.

Three-times Roland Garros semi-finalist Murray converted his second set point when Isner hit a forehand wide.

After a rain delay, the second set proved another tight tussle before Isner cracked under pressure at 4-5 - Murray breaking for the first time to move two sets clear with the help of a delightful angled drop shot.

It was routine after that for Murray who will play Frenchman Richard Gasquet after the hosts' last man standing defeated fifth seed Kei Nishikori in four sets.

'I got a bit lucky'

Murray said afterwards of winning the first-set tie-break: "It was very important. It was a very close set, it could have gone either way. I got a bit lucky on the set point, just guessed the right way.

"It's obviously difficult conditions, you don't quite know what's going to happen, so to go in on that rain delay ahead was very important."

Isner said prior to the match he was "desperate" to reach the quarter-finals having lost at the fourth-round stage on five of the previous six occasions he had made it that far at a slam.

The one exception was at the US Open in 2011 - also the last time an American man reached that stage - when he went on to lose to Murray.