Red-hot Murray outclasses Acasuso

It was almost 7pm local time before the British number one stepped on court at Roland Garros but he made up for the wait, demolishing his opponent 6-4 6-0 6-4.

So much for the warning from Murray's coach, double French Open finalist Alex Corretja, that Acasuso was a genuine clay-court menace. Acasuso was far from that. But Murray was also transformed from the man who struggled in five frustrating sets against French qualifier Jonathan Eysseric on Sunday.

Murray broke his opponent's serve in the first game of the match, courtesy of a fine drop shot and a clinching lob.

And while Acasuso briefly demonstrated why he is considered a danger on clay with an array of powerful groundstrokes which forced Murray to save three break points on his serve in the sixth game, the precision tennis came from the racket of the lad from Dunblane.

The second set started in similar fashion to the first with Murray breaking Acasuso's serve, assisted by one perfect double-handed lob which landed on the baseline.

Two double faults by the Argentinian in the third game gifted Murray another break and the Acasuso delivery was breached again with a rasping forehand return for what might well have been the best clay-court set of Murray's career.

Acasuso rallied in the third set but the gulf in class was still obvious.

The crucial break came in the seventh game, Murray's superior composure earning him three break points, which he converted with a gift when Acasuso double faulted.

The Murray forehands, if anything, were gaining in power and he duly completed the victory to earn a third-round match against Spain's Nicolas Almagro - and on this form he has every chance of surviving to the second week of the tournament.