Andy Murray shut out the New York noise and the game of Marcel Granollers of Spain with a 6-4 6-1 6-4 win to reach the third round of the US Open.
The Wimbledon and Olympic champion ground down the world No.45 in a match involving numerous lung-busting rallies and played under a cacophony of sound with the $US150 million roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium court closed.
At times, the players could barely hear the ball off their strings and the rain hammering on the roof was almost deafening but second seed Murray kept calm to clinch a convincing victory.
“At first we didn’t know if there was just more people come in at the change of ends, but then we quickly realised it was the rain,” Murray said.
“It was tough, you couldn’t really hear the ball which makes it tricky. But we’re lucky to play under the roof; otherwise there wouldn’t be any tennis so it’s good for everyone.”
Murray led 5-2 in the first set only for Granollers to hit back but the Scot won a game lasting more than 10 minutes to break and clinch it on his seventh set point.
After breaking for 3-1 in the second set, Murray pulled away to double his lead and he broke in the ninth game of the third to earn victory.
Murray, the champion in 2012 and chasing a fourth grand slam title, will now play either 30th seed Gilles Simon or unseeded Italian Paolo Lorenzi.
Joining Murray in the third round is his potential quarter-final opponent Kei Nishikori.
The Japanese star, who made the final at Flushing Meadows in 2014, dropped the second set but came through 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3 against 20-year-old Russian qualifier Karen Khachanov.
A rain delay of around three hours, which came at 4-4 in the third set, helped Nishikori regroup and he eased away to victory on the resumption.
“Especially in the third set he was playing really well, serving well,” said Nishikori, who next plays Frenchman Nicolas Mahut.
“I had some chances before the rain delay, but it wasn’t easy. After the delay I was playing good tennis. I am happy to win today.” Austrian number eight seed Dominic Thiem, who came from two sets to one down to beat Australia’s John Millman in the first round is also through to the third round.
Thiem had no such problems in his round two clash, blasting past Lithuanian Ricardis Berankis 6-4 6-3 6-2 in a little under two hours.
