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Andy Murray - Source: Reuters -
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Like the rush hour traffic trying to leave Manhattan for the long Labor Day weekend, Andy Murray got caught in a jam on Saturday before he steered his way out of trouble and into the third round of the US Open.
Facing an opponent who had won just one match in his last nine tour-level events, world number two Murray had been expected to rout Chile's Paul Capdeville in straight sets.
Instead the Briton earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first man among the top 10 seeds to lose a set at Flushing Meadows this year before running out a 6-2 3-6 6-0 6-2 victory.
"I played three very good sets and one poor one. But you're allowed to play a bad set sometimes," the 2008 runner-up told reporters.
"I came back well from it. I... just felt a little bit lethargic, a little bit low on energy. I don't know why. But managed to pick it up at the end when I needed to."
It had all started promisingly for Murray, who has long been tipped to become the first British men's grand slam champion since Fred Perry won the New York title more than seven decades ago, as he teased and tormented Capdeville with his stinging groundstrokes.
So clueless was the 87th-ranked journeyman that at times he was standing close to two metres behind the baseline in the hope of getting a look in on the Murray serve.
When he did manage to get in a decent return, Capdeville was made to scurry around the baseline before getting outfoxed by an array of forehand and backhand winners.
Not having much luck on a sun-drenched Arthur Ashe Stadium, Capdeville tossed aside his sweaty black shirt and swapped it for a white one before the start of the second set.
That appeared to take the weight of his shoulders as he punished the second seed for his lack of conviction and bagged the set with an ace, prompting four-times U.S. Open champion John McEnroe to observe "that was a pretty mediocre effort from Murray."
Perhaps sensing McEnroe's criticism of his tactics, Murray reacted in spectacular fashion and he ran off with the third set in just 21 minutes.
With the wheels coming off Capdeville's game, Murray rushed through the fourth set as if eager to join the holiday makers determined to get away from their offices for the three-day weekend.
Murray's blue polo shirt was drenched in sweat as he sealed victory when the Chilean dragged a backhand long on match point.
He will next face either resurgent American wildcard Taylor Dent, who is playing at the Open for the first time since 2005, or Ivan Navarro of Spain.
