US Open: Marcel Granollers unable to halt Andy Murray

Andy Murray overcame the variety of a spirited Marcel Granollers to win 6-4 6-1 6-4 and reach the third round of the US Open on Thursday.

Granollers had little answer to the second seed early in the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the newly installed roof proved crucial as a downpour in New York forced play to be suspended on the outside courts.

Murray broke the Spaniard in his first service game and raced into a 5-2 lead, before suffering a break of his own.

The invention of the world number 45, mixing shots from the baseline with some old fashioned serve and volleying, upset the rhythm of Murray, prompting the Brit to commit a series of uncharacteristic errors.

In a marathon 10th game, lasting 12 minutes, the Wimbledon champion demonstrated his enviable athleticism to chase down a wide drop shot and fire back a fierce cross court winner, finally taking what was his seventh set point.

The second set was a far more straightforward affair, Murray breaking twice and holding throughout to take it in a comparatively brisk 35 minutes, sealing it with an ace on the first of three set points.

Granollers lifted his game in the third set but was unable to rediscover the determination and accuracy that had made him a threat late in the opener.

The 30-year-old held until the ninth game, when an unforced error gifted Murray an opportunity to serve for the match, an unreturnable serve out wide securing his passage to the next round, where he will face Gilles Simon or Paolo Lorenzi.

STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

Murray [2] bt Granollers 6-4 6-1 6-4

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

ACES

BREAK POINTS WON

FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE

PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE 

TOTAL POINTS