Andy Murray yesterday breathed a huge sigh of relief as he celebrated turning 25 by escaping the claws of a resurgent David Nalbandian at the Rome Masters.

Trailing 3-1 in the final set, Murray looked in serious trouble, having cruised through the first set before the Nalbandian fightback began. But in his first match since Barcelona, the Scot dug deep and scrambled back to record a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 victory.

"After the last couple of weeks I've had I am so happy to win," he said. "I got a bit lucky at the end, but I went for it and sometimes you make your own luck."

The luck referred to an outrageous dead net cord he got to break serve for 6-5 in the final set but having broken, he still needed to save two break-back points before serving out for victory and a place in round three.

Murray added: "It's like Roger Federer in his first match in Madrid last week when he won 7-6 in the third against Milos Raonic and then he went on to win the title.

"Sometimes that's how it happens and then you get better, so hopefully I can go on from here and do well because it's important to get more matches this week."

Murray said he had yet to open any presents from his support team, but if he thought he was going to get a gift from Nalbandian he was wrong.

The first set was easy as Nalbandian struggled in the wind, but the Argentine, now ranked 42 but once as high as No 3, is no mug on clay and worked his way back with a series of drop shots.Murray was scrambling over the clay in vain for much of the time and when he dropped serve to give Nalbandian a 3-1 lead in the decider, he looked beaten.

But the Scot broke back immediately and then rode his luck at the end to clinch a match against either Richard Gasquet of France or Italian qualifier Paolo Lorenzi tomorrow.

"Getting the break back immediately was the key," Murray said. "He is an exceptional player and we were both playing well at the end. It was a physical match."

Novak Djokovic, who beat Murray in the semi-finals here last year, began his title bid in style with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Australian Bernard Tomic.

Federer, fresh from his win in Madrid last week, and Rafael Nadal, chasing a third clay-court title of the year, both start their campaigns today.