Murray went into the fourth-round encounter having lost both previous matches against Gasquet, but buoyed by winning his opening three matches for the loss of just one set.

Gasquet, 22, gradually wrestled control of the first set from Murray, missing two break points in game eight before making the vital breakthrough in an extraordinary game at 6-5.

Murray saved two set points from 15-40 with an ace and a running backhand, a third with a similar shot after a dramatic rally, and a fourth with a big serve and sharp volley.

The Briton could not stem the tide forever, though, and the pressure told when, facing a fifth break point in the game, he pushed a drop volley into the tram lines.

That took the wind out of his sails, deflated the crowd and gave the sometimes fragile Gasquet a huge confidence boost.

In the second game of the second set, Murray's love of the drop shot reared its head, two poor efforts letting Gasquet back into the game before the Scot double faulted.

Gasquet was now in the mood to capitalise, driving Murray back with a thumping forehand and punching away a forehand volley to break.

There was half a chance for Murray as Gasquet struggled to serve out the set, missing his first two set points on serve at 5-3, but the Briton could not capitalise and picked up a warning for an audible obscenity as the set slipped away.

Gasquet was well and truly in the groove now, his peerless backhand the highlight as the winners began to flow and four break points came and went at 2-2 in the third.

The Frenchman missed another two break points at 4-3 before taking the third with a sweeping cross-court backhand winner, but the Centre Court came alive when Gasquet's notoriously suspect nerve failed him and he could not serve out the match.

After two lengthy games it came to a tie-break and Murray surged into a 4-0 lead, taking it with an incredible backhand winner from way outside the tram lines that had the 15,000 spectators on their feet.

For the first time this year there were chants of "Murray, Murray!" around Centre Court and at last the momentum was with the home player.

He raced through the fourth set in a little over 20 minutes with a blistering display and, after Gasquet was booed for taking a comfort break at the changeover, Murray broke at the start of the final set.

With the time approaching 9pm BST, a visibly shaken Gasquet missed a break-back chance in the second game and began questioning the umpire about the light.

The officials were not about to step in, though, and Murray eventually completed his first ever comeback from two sets down in three hours 57 minutes, taking his second match point with the pulsating Centre Court shrouded in darkness 9.30pm BST.

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