Andy Murray’s return to the US Open has lasted just two rounds as the 2012 champion bowed out with a controversial 7-5 2-6 6-4 6-4 defeat to No.31 seed Fernando Verdasco.
Murray hit out at tournament officials for failing to prevent Verdasco talking to his coach during the 10-minute heat break at the end of the third set, something that was only stopped after the Scot alerted the supervisor.
He said: “It shouldn’t be for the player that’s competing against him to have to go to the supervisor.
“If I hadn’t said anything, they would have been chatting about the match, giving tactics and stuff.
“I shouldn’t be in that position in the middle of a match at a slam having to make sure they’re doing their job.”
Verdasco will face a second-straight past champion at Flushing Meadows when he meets third-seeded Juan Martin del Potro in the third round.
Murray missed last year’s tournament because of a hip injury and didn’t consider himself a contender this year because of his lack of preparation.
Verdasco won for just the second time in 15 career meetings with Murray, who had multiple chances to even the final game of a 64-minute final set before the left-hander finished it.
The 2009 champion beat American Denis Kudla 6-3 6-1 7-6 (7-4).
Stan Wawrinka fought off punishing heat and a youthful challenge from French qualifier Ugo Humbert to earn a 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory and a place in the third round.
With temperatures at Flushing Meadows once again nudging towards 38 Celsius on Wednesday, Wawrinka and Humbert battled for nearly three hours and 30 minutes in the shadeless oven that is the Grandstand Stadium court.
Wawrinka – the champion in 2016 but unable to defend his title last year after undergoing knee surgery – had his fitness put to the test by the 20-year-old Humbert playing in his first tour-level event.
But Wawrinka lived up to reputation as a battler and grimly hung on to take the next two sets.
The 33-year-old, who upset eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round, now faces 25th seed Milos Raonic after the big-hitting Canadian blasted past Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-3 6-4 6-4.
Russia’s unseeded Daniil Medvedev upset 15th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-3.
The in-form Tsitsipas reached the Canadian Open final this month before losing to world No.1 Rafael Nadal.
Fifth-seed Kevin Anderson advanced with a 6-2 6-4 6-4 victory over France’s Jeremy Chardy.
John Isner reached the third round for the seventh consecutive year, hitting 38 aces to come back and edge 42nd-ranked Nicolas Jarry of Chile 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.
