For the uninitiated, the 37-year-old had suffered an ankle injury at the Miami Masters. Since then, he has been back on the sidelines, and many questions have been asked about his participation at the French Open and tournaments afterward.

However, opting out of surgery, Murray reduced his time on the sidelines and returned to the clay courts of Bordeaux. Seeded at No. 7, Murray was up against Kyrian Jacquet in the first round. It was a rather fortunate outing for the Brit, who played like he never left. With a series of shots, Murray had taken the first set and a considerable break in the second set.

Unfortunately, Jacquet could not compete due to an injury concern and pulled out of the match, giving Murray a well-deserved victory on the eve of his birthday. It marked his first victory since Miami.

Andy Murray seen trialling a new Yonex Racket at the Challengers event

37-year-old Andy Murray celebrated his birthday with three gifts to make his day. The first is a cake presented by the organizers, a match win on return, and his new racket. This is a drastic change made by Murray as he trials a new tennis racket.

The former World No. 1 had used a head racket for his entire professional career but is currently trialing a Yonex racket. It was the first clay court match for the Brit, where he played with the new racket.

However, it seemed like this change was two years in the making, as Murray previously informed Andy Roddick about his tennis racket testing methods.

Nevertheless, a huge victory for the Briton, who now heads one step forward at the challenger level. With the French Open nearing by the minute, Murray would hope to survive a little longer and prove the critics wrong.