PARIS (AFP) - Murray dropped the tight first set and frustration with his play and some of the calls made by the electronic line calling system threatened to boil over.
But like he has so many times in his career, he roared back with help from his ferocious forehand in the second set to force a decider.
The match then hinged on a marathon game at 4-4 in the third where Murray executed a perfectly placed half volley winner that sent Etcheverry running off the court in pursuit.
Murray’s sixth ace of the match sealed the win as he improved to 7-0 in deciding set matches this year.
Next up is a meeting with Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round on Saturday and three-time Grand Slam champion Murray said he is as hungry as ever.
“I still feel extremely motivated, I still enjoy the competition and all the work that goes into it,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Murray’s compatriot Raducanu battled back from a break down in both sets to beat Danka Kovinic 6-2 6-3 and get revenge on the Montenegrin who beat her at the 2022 Australian Open.
No one was quite sure what to expect from the 20-year-old Raducanu coming into the tournament in the Southern California desert, even whether she would actually take the court.
The wrist injury that forced her to shut down her season early last year has been flaring up again and after she withdrew from a pre-tournament exhibition event, it appeared she might not compete at all.