Reigning champion moves into the third round after beating Leonardo Mayer.
Defending champion Andy Murray advanced to the third round of the US Open with a 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Argentina’s 81st-ranked Leonardo Mayer.
British third seed Murray, who is also the reigning Wimbledon and Olympic champion, will next face Germany’s Florian Mayer, who advanced by defeating US qualifier Donald Young 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Murray fired 28 winners and made just 22 unforced errors to Mayer’s 49 while scampering down shot after shot against his South American rival in a matchup at Louis Armstrong Stadium of players who were both born on May 15, 1987.
“Very tough match,” Murray said. “Both of us ran a lot and it was very humid. I’m just glad I was able to put it together and pull it out in the fourth set.”
Murray, who improved to 39-7 on the season, won his second Grand Slam title in July at Wimbledon and also owns crowns this year from Brisbane, Miami and Queen’s. Murray will claim his 29th career title if he defends the Open title.
The 26-year-old Scotsman became the first British man to win a Grand Slam since Fred Perry in 1936 with his triumph over Novak Djokovic in last year’s US Open final. He has now reached the third round in 22 Grand Slams in a row.
The matchup turned when Mayer sent a backhand long to give Murray a break and a 3-1 lead in the fourth set. Murray broke again for a 5-1 edge and held serve to end matters after two hours and 41 minutes.
Murray broke Mayer at love in the 12th game to capture the first set, the last point coming after 54 minutes when Mayer hit a forehand wide.
Murray broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set when the South American sent a backhand long and again in the sixth game on his way to taking the set in 35 minutes.
Mayer, who fell to 0-12 against top-10 foes, swiped Murray’s first service game in the third set and held the rest of the way to force a fourth set, denying Murray on two break points in the seventh game in the process.
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