By Philip James & Ros Satar
Juan Sebastian Cabal / Robert Farah def Jamie Marray/John Peers 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Jamie Murray exited the French Open today as he and Australian partner, John Peers, lost a double break lead in the third of their second round match.
Columbian pairing Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, who defeated Xavier Malisse and Britains’s Ken Skupski in round one, fought back from losing the first set to win the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and progress to round three.
The Columbians are a long standing team, having first teamed-up in 2004 and played together frequently since.
Ranked 44th and 52nd respectively in doubles, Cabal and Farah are in a fine run of form, reaching the final of the AT250 Open de Nice Côte d’Azur last week.
Murray and Peers are ranked slightly lower, at 73 and 60, but have enjoyed success themselves after teaming up in February.
In April the pair won their maiden title together at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, beating the world number one Bryan brothers in the final.
It was the Commonwealth team who started today’s match the better, breaking serve in the sixth game to lead 4-2.
Neither team were winning many points on return and that was to be the only break point of the set, which Peers served out to take in just under half an hour.
The second serve progressed with serve, though Murray and Peers missed three break points before Murray himself was broken at 4-5 to hand the set to the Columbians and tie the match.
Losing the second set seemed to spur on Murray and Peers who broke to start the second set and a place in the third round seemed to be on the cards when they went up at double break to lead 4-1.
However the Columbians surged back, winning five games in a row including three breaks to take the deciding set and with it the match in an hour and 47 minutes.
But British interest on the red clay of Roland Garros is not over yet (despite what BBC might think….).
@BBCSport does Dominic Inglot in the MD and @colin_fleming @HeatherWatson92 & Jonny in mixed dubs not count!? Shame pic.twitter.com/YD5B4SF3hH
— britwatchsports (@britwatchsports) May 31, 2013
Saturday’s order of play sees Dominic Inglot and Filipino Treat Huey in the second round of the men’s doubles while Jonny Marray and Heather Watson start their mixed doubles campaign as does Colin Fleming, partnering Kirsten Flipkins.