Andy Murray avoids upset again against unknown at French Open

One day after staving off a first-round exit, Andy Murray escaped elimination again Wednesday at Roland Garros.

Murray was taken to five sets for the second time in two matches and, once again, the world No. 2 was forced to dig deep to pull off a 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory against Mathias Bourgue.

The 22-year-old French wild card had no previous matches against a top-50 player. Bourgue was so unknown that he currently has no biography information listed on the ATP’s website.

After Murray captured the opening set, Bourgue used his stellar drop shot and backhand to fight his way back into the match. He won eight straight games, sending Murray racing all over the court and pulling ahead for a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth set, Murray’s experience and superior conditioning began to take hold. He marched out to a 6-2 victory and it finally looked like his young opponent was beginning to fade.

Armed with the support of the crowd (and a Mars bar and Coca-Cola that he called for mid-match) Bourgue refused to go down easy.

The young Frenchman put together a stunning hold to tie things up at 1-1 in the fifth set, and, when Murray served for the match with a 5-1 lead, Bourge broke him.

In the end, though, two forehand errors from Bourge would send Murray into the third round after over three-and-a-half hours of tennis. Bourge received a standing ovation as he walked off the court.

In the third round, Murray will face off against his second 37-year-old of the tournament in Ivo Karlovic. The two have faced off six times, resulting in six Murray victories.