Andy Murray feels in fine fettle after smooth route thus far

After seeing off flashy but inconsistent Frenchman Eric Prodon in round one, the world number four was given a tough battle by talented Italian Simone Bolelli in extremely windy conditions on Thursday. Today, Murray faces German Michael Berrer in another match he will be expected to come through without too many problems.

The Scot, whose tie is second on Court Suzanne Lenglen, said: "I haven't dropped a set yet. I would have liked to have played a little bit better in my first round but (on Thursday] I just wanted to get through. It was a match that I would have been expected to win but it was a very tough one. So I'm really, really happy I got through in straight sets, because it could have been a lot different."

Murray, of course, must not get too far ahead of himself but a glance at his quarter of the draw may well make the heart beat a little bit faster.

Providing he sees off world No 95 Berrer today, a seed will await in the shape of Alexandr Dolgopolov or Viktor Troicki, but a quarter-final against one of Lukas Kubot, Alejandro Falla, Juan Ignacio Chela or Lukas Rosol is about as good as it gets.

Murray has never got past the last eight at Roland Garros, and it is the one grand slam he can arrive at without too much pressure heaped on his shoulders - not that the man himself sees things that way.

He added: "It's sort of similar to me now because I want to try and win the grand slams every time they come around, so I put the same pressure on myself at each one.

"The expectations from others, I'm sure, are less for me here than at Wimbledon, but for me it's still the same."

Berrer is through to the third round of a grand slam for the first time in his career having beaten Frenchman Arnaud Clement. The 30-year-old reached a career-high ranking of 42nd last year but, aside from making the final of the ATP World Tour event in Zagreb, has had a disappointing season until now.

Despite admitting clay is his least favourite surface, Berrer is happy to face Murray on the red stuff, saying: "If I could choose a surface, I think it's the best one to choose. It's my weakest surface and his weakest surface, so it's okay." The Stuttgart resident watched part of Murray's match yesterday, and he added: "He played solid. He was down in the third set and he came back, as usual.

"I think, for him, he just has to win these matches, and it's the same against me. I'll be motivated. He's serving well, he's playing pretty flat, not too much spin. But I think on these courts it's fast. It suits his game."

It was the end of the road on Thursday for another Scot as Elena Baltacha joined Heather Watson in making a second-round exit in the women's singles.Baltacha fought hard against Vania King before going down in three sets, and the 27-year-old was able to take plenty of positives home to Ipswich after the best clay-court season of her career.

The British No 1, who will contest two ITF events in Nottingham and then head to Eastbourne before Wimbledon, said: "My confidence is sky high and physically I feel like I'm very fit going on to the grass."