THERE hadn't been this much optimism ahead of an Argentine assignment since Ally Macleod and '78.

But while the Scotland national football team cannot seem to make it beyond the first round of major competitions, Andy Murray never fails to. You have to go back to 2008 for the last time the World No 3 fell at the first hurdle at any of the Grand Slams and there was no such stumble here either. Andy, and his army, marched into the second round at Roland Garros after a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory against the World No 137 Facundo Arguello.

The 22-year-old hails from the city of Cordoba and fervently supports the local football team, Belgrano. Clad in his country's national colours, he was experiencing that sinking feeling soon enough as the Scot sailed through these opening skirmishes of his French Open bid.

This 22-year-old, a chunky wee scrapper who bounced about between points like a boxer, was widely expected to be cannon fodder but that analysis did him something of a disservice. While he had won only one tour level match his entire career, in Buenos Aires earlier this year against Spain's Albert Montanes, this was a man who plays almost exclusively on clay and was once regarded as one of the great new hopes of Argentine tennis. He has most of the shots, just not always the ability to select the correct one at the right moment. And he had Gaston Gaudio, his countryman who shocked the world to take this title back in 2004, mentoring him to do precisely that.

But then the idea that Andy Murray is an ineffective operator on clay itself is becoming rather out-dated. The Scot spent plenty of practice hours on this surface as a teenager in Barcelona, and has twice reached the semi-finals here, both times losing only to the finest clay court player in history. His record on the dirt now stretches to a perfect 11 wins, and even Rafa Nadal couldn't live with him recently in the Madrid final. It was a sign of the tournament organisers' faith in him that he should anchor the day's play on the main court, leaving Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic to joust for headline billing on Tuesday. Joao Sousa and Vasek Pospisil, his two prospective next round opponents, will also be in action, working out whose misfortune it is to face him on Thursday.

Watched by the two women in his life - his new wife Kim for the first time since their marriage, and heavily-pregnant coach Amelie Mauresmo - he received a warm reception on a cool, windy day as he strode out in the kind of kit usually reserved for a football referee or New Zealand rugby player.

He might have appeared calmness personified in the tunnel beforehand but in truth he was suffering from a few first night nerves and Arguello had a few surprises in store, mainly off that blistering forehand side. An untimely double fault saw the Scot - who had practised in the morning with Gael Monfils, the only man ever to beat him in the first round here, back in 2006 - break point down his opening service game. While a couple of cleverly-constructed points saw him through that minor early trauma, he did allow Arguello to peg him back at 3-3. There is a calmness about the World No 3 now, though, which resists moments of crisis, and he promptly reeled off three straight games to take the set.

The court held its breath when Murray appeared to turn his ankle behind the baseline but soon the Scot was showing no ill effects. Breaking for 3-2 in the second broke the Argentine's morale and by the end of an enjoyable final set which took just 26 minutes to complete, his serve had been surrendered no fewer than six times.

While ultimately he was through, in straight sets, without having expended too much in the way of energy, Murray admitted that factors outwith his control had made this more of a slog than he had hoped for. "The start was very windy on the court and cold, so it was quite slow conditions and I found it difficult at the beginning," he said. "That court in particular, Philippe Chatrier, is very slow, extremely slow. I have never felt it like that before. When I practised on the outside courts and the sun is out, it's like always, pretty quick, high bouncing.

"Then I felt when the wind died down a bit in the second and third set, I felt that the level of tennis was better," he added. "There were more entertaining rallies and we played some good points. Because he moves extremely well,when he was in defensive positions he came up with some good drop shots and lobs."

"I played very well the first two sets but in the third set Murray behaved like a champion," was Arguello's take on proceedings. "He has big chances to go on and win the tournament. I think any of the big players can win the title but I think he has improved a lot on clay."

All that was left was for court side commentator Fabrice Santoro and Murray friend to ask a few personal, impertinent questions to the Scot in a public place. So was it harder to get Kim to agree to marry him or win two tournaments on clay, the Frenchman asked. "She put up with me for nine and a half years before we got married so it was probably about time I proposed," he deadpanned.

By the end, three players from these islands had made it beyond the first round, a pretty decent return considering five had started the day's play. No-one was cheerleading more than Murray, but there was a sting in the tail. "For us it's great," he said. "But I don't think other countries are looking at it and saying 'it's great you have two or three players in the second round of a Grand Slam'."