So, here we are then Uncharted territory this - Andy Murray in the last 16 at a French Open. The good news for Andy is that his opponent today, Marin Cilic, has also never gone this far before. The bad news is that Cilic is a 6ft 6in giant of a man with a big serve and some even bigger groundstrokes.
When does Murray start, then? Well, he's next up on the Suzanne Lenglen court, so he's waiting for Dominika Cibulkova to finish her match against Agnes Szavay. Given that Cibulkova is currently 6-2, 5-2 up, that probably won't be very long.
The previous Murray and Cilic have met twice on the pro circuit, with the Brit needing five sets to win a Davis Cup match at Wimbledon in 2007, then winning in straight sets at the Madrid masters in 2008. The Madrid masters was played indoor on a hard surface last year, though, so they have not met on clay since 2005 - when Cilic beat Murray in the French Open's junior tournament. That turned out to be Murray's last match before turning pro.
Andy Murray's twitter feed ... hasn't been updated since 26 May. Lazy so-and-so. On the other hand, you have to love his in-depth bio. "I play tennis," it reads.
Cibulkova beats Szavay 6-2, 6-4 Szavay broke back once and saved three match points, but Cibulkova eventually managed to seal the victory and reach her first-ever grand slam quarter-final.
Thought for food "On Andymurray.com they are currently running a competition in which readers can win a signed shirt if they correctly guess which kind of food Murray likes most," writes Simon Brydges. "But which type of food do you think Murray is most like? I'm going to suggest a tuna steak - capable of great things but with a tendency to become flaky under pressure." Erm, I'm going to have to ponder on that one Simon.
First set: Murray 1-0 Cilic* A bright start to the match and a very bright start for Murray, who breaks Cilic at the first attempt. Murray quickly settled behind the baseline, while Cilic is bounding forwards and back like a hyperactive (and terrifyingly over-grown) seven-year-old. The first time Cilic really attacks the net, though, Murray swishes an elegant cross-court backhand straight past him to bring up 15-40. Cilic saves the first break point after a long rally, then dominates the next point but is unable to find a way past Murray and eventually drives a backhand into the net.
First set: Murray* 1-1 Cilic Well it didn't take Cilic long to rein Murray back in. After jumping out to a 0-30 lead, Cilic earns a break point at 30-40 and makes sure he takes it - driving Murray's first serve straight back at the Brit's ankles, from where it was never going to be returned.
First set: Murray 1-2 Cilic* It looked for a second as though we were on for a third straight break there as Cilic quickly fell 0-30 behind, but the Croatian regained his composure and controlled the remaining points with a series of short, angled shots to keep Murray chasing.
First set: Murray* 2-2 Cilic Murray holds to love. Now why couldn't he manage that the first time around, eh?
First set: Murray 2-3 Cilic* Cilic is finding a rhythm on his own first serve, using his height and strength to make the ball ride up off the clay so that it reaches Murray at almost head-height. At 40-0 Murray adjusts his approach, stepping up the court to attack the ball earlier before it has a chance to rise, and promptly wins his first point of the game, but despite a double-fault on the next one Cilic still holds.
First set: Murray* 3-3 Cilic Murray holds to 30 but to be totally honest I missed a fair bit of the game as I was switching over from a dubious web feed to BBC2, who have finally started their coverage.
First set: Murray 3-4 Cilic* The drop-shots are finally coming into play, though Cilic will have to do a lot better than patting forehands to the edge of the service box, as he does at 40-15 here. Murray races in to dispatch a topspin forehand away to the back of the court, but Cilic still holds.
First set: Murray* 4-4 Cilic Another routine hold for Murray, who has dropped just three points on serve since losing his first service game. "Until about twelve months ago, Murray was obviously a haggis - a big Scottish pudding that nobody from outside that country appreciated," writes Gary Naylor. "But since then, he has become a hamburger. Not exactly wholesome, but gets the job done and at its best in the USA. He has the silky smooth Swiss chocolate and the Spanish beefsteak to overcome before he is on the menu at the top tables."
First set: Murray 4-5 Cilic* Cilic is doing a great job of varying the length and direction of his first serve to keep Murray off-balance, but it is his tricky second serve - roughly 10kmh faster than Murray's - that is making it so hard for the Brit to force an opening. Cilic holds to 15.
First set: Murray* 5-5 Cilic Murray is not thrilled about the conditions - bright and sunny as far as I can see - and has a little grumble to the umpire about visibility before this service game. He then holds confidently once again, dominating Cilic with some his most stinging forehands yet.
First set: Murray 6-5 Cilic* 'YES!' yelps Murray as Cilic swats a two-handed backhand long to give the Brit his second break of serve. That might have been as much about Cilic losing his nerve - finally allowing errors to creep in on his serve - as anything, but Murray kept his and will now serve for the set.
Murray wins the first set 7-5 Nothing flaky about Murray here, as he earns two set points at 40-15 and then takes the second with a huge serve down the middle of the court that Cilic can barely get the frame of his racket to. This the first set Cilic has dropped all tournament, so it will interesting to see how he reacts ...
Second set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 0-1 Cilic responds rather well, as it turns out, holding to love. In that first set he got 68% of his first serves in, while Murray managed just 47%, and also hit 17 winners to the Brit's five. The telling statistic, however, is unforced errors. Cilic made 10, whereas Murray only had two.
Second set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 1-1 Murray's first serve may not be as consistent as he would like, but when it does go in Cilic will always struggle to contain it. Murray drops just the one point on the way to a comfortable hold.
Second set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 2-1 Cilic is looking ragged as he double-faults to bring up 15-30, but Murray gives him a way back in with an underhit backhand that the Croatian rushes forward to dispatch down the line. Another unforced error gives Murray break-point, however, and he takes the game with a wonderful cross-court forehand hit at full stretch as Cilic - not unreasonably given how well hit his approach shot had been - attacked the net.
Second set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 3-1 Murray berates himself loudly after hooking a forehand wide from the middle of the baseline at 30-15, but he still never looks in trouble on serve here.
Second set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 3-2 Murray is creeping some way up the court now when facing Cilic's second serve, meeting it well inside the baseline before it can skip up too high. He forces deuce but a slip on the clay gives Cilic the whole court to aim at on the next point and the Croatian rams a forehand down the line to take the game.
Second set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 4-2 Ace. Drop-shot. Ace. Murray is 40-0 up in no time but allows some sloppiness to creep in, dropping the next two points before crushing another unreturnable first serve down the middle of the court.
Second set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 4-3 Cilic's second hold to love, but he's going to need to find at least one break to save this set now ...
Second set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 4-4 ... which he promptly does, taking advantage after Murray netted twice to seize a 30-40 advantage and then biding his time in a 25-shot rally that ends with Murray wafting a cross-court backhand some way wide of the tramlines. The only two points Murray did take in that game came from aces.
Second set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 4-5 Cilic's second ace of the match turns out to be a controversial one, initially called out before the umpire comes down onto the court and decides that the mark on the clay proves that it was in. Murray, looking at the same mark, thinks otherwise. From the pictures we saw it's hard to judge. The decision gives Cilic game point at 40-30, but Murray forces deuce and wastes one break point before finally succumbing.
Second set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 5-5 Murray continues to debate that contentious line call with the umpire before trotting back onto the court and holding to 15 again. He's been excellent on serve for the vast majority of this set, but credit to Cilic - he was ready to take advantage the one time Murray did let his standards slip.
Second set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 5-6 Now both players take turns to question line calls as first Cilic's cross-court forehand is ruled to have landed the wrong side of the right-hand tramline and then Murray has a forehand of his own ruled long. The game goes to deuce but Cilic eventually holds.
Second set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 6-6 A Mexican wave breaks out before Murray's service game, and continues - despite protestations from the umpire - for some time. Eventually order is restored and Murray battles through to a tie-break, but not before Cilic makes a show of intent by swatting a passing shot down the line to force deuce.
Second set tie-break: Murray 0-1 Cilic* Murray is unable to return Cilic's first serve.
Second set tie-break: Murray* 2-1 Cilic Cilic slaps a backhand into the tramlines to make it 1-1, then sees his backhand sail just long after a short rally.
Second set tie-break: Murray 3-2 Cilic* Cilic sends Murray scampering after an approach shot to the back right-hand corner of the court, then wins the point from the net. On the next point, however, Cilic's backhand fails to clear the net.
Second set tie-break: Murray* 5-2 Cilic Murray hasn't got a first serve in yet in this tie-break, but Cilic finds the net twice more under little pressure.
Second set tie-break: Murray 6-3 Cilic* Cilic stays alive with an unreturnable first serve, but only after Murray earns four set points.
Murray wins the second set 7-6 (7-4) Cilic returns for the first time in a long-time to the drop-shot, disguising his intentions well before wrong-footing Murray expertly to save another set point. The Croatian is unable to contain a vicious approach shot from Murray on the next point, however, and watches his backhand float wide of Murray's right-hand tramline.
Third set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 1-0 Cilic can only stop and admire the sheer talent of Murray as the Brit, who had looked sluggish at 15-30, passes him with an outrageous back-hand drop-shot from the baseline. Murray holds after deuce. Once again in the second set Cilic hit more winners than Murray (20-14), but also more made far more unforced errors (20-8).
Third set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 2-0 Poor Cilic just can't catch a break right now and you sense that maybe - after he fought so hard but failed to break Murray in the last game - his head is beginning to drop. First a forehand hops off the net cord and out, then Murray makes an unlikely dash to retrieve a drop-shot and follows it with cat-like reflexes to volley away Cilic's attempted pass. That brings up 15-40 and Cilic belts another routine forehand straight into the middle of the net to give Murray the break.
Third set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 3-0 The errors are becoming both more regular and more wild in their nature for Cilic, who continues to chase down everything Murray can throw at him, but seems to have lost a lot of his earlier control. At 40-30 Cilic catches a forehand with the frame of his racket and sends it cannoning off into the stands. After the game he receives treatment from the trainer to an apparent thigh injury.
Third set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 4-0 That treatment went on for quite some time but just as thoughts of a third opponent retiring in four matches against Murray here at Roland Garros, Cilic finally leapt back to his feet. Not that it did him a lot of good - after a lengthy deuce, Cilic finds the net again and Murray has a second break this set.
Third set: Murray* leads Cilic 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 4-1 Is this the start of a stirring comeback? No, no it isn't, but credit to Cilic for hanging in there. Murray allowed himself to get a bit lazy with his shot selection, and the Croatian has too much pride to let him get away with it.
Third set: Murray leads Cilic* 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 5-1 Well that was far too easy. Murray breaks to 15, attacking Cilic's serve with renewed vigour and finding his opponent unable to respond. Cilic has now been broken as many times in this set as he had been in his previous three matches.
Murray beats Cilic 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 Murray finishes the job, but not before Cilic has produced one last spectacular passing shot at full stretch behind the baseline. Murray goes through to his first French Open quarter-final, where he will face Fernando Gonzalez. Thanks for all your emails.
