Defending champion Andy Murray advanced to the third round of the US Open with a four-set victory over Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer on Friday, while top seed Novak Djokovic survived an early wobble to defeat Germany’s Benjamin Becker in straight sets.
Murray triumphed 7-5 6-1 3-6 6-1 and will next face Germany’s Florian Mayer, who advanced over US qualifier Donald Young 7-5 6-3 6-4.
The Scot 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 in 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 for the season, won his second grand slam title in July at Wimbledon and also owns crowns this year from Brisbane, Miami and Queen’s.
Djokovic downed Becker 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-2, the world No.1 saving two set points in the 10th game of the opener. Once he had weathered the storm, it was plain sailing for the 2011 champion who is bidding to make the final for a fourth successive year.
Djokovic sent down 13 aces in his 1hr 51min victory as well as 40 winners with 18 of his 26 total unforced errors coming in that uncomfortable first set against the world No.87.
“Becker is a quality player and he should have won the first set. I was fortunate to come out of it but, after that, I felt more comfortable on the court,” said Djokovic.
Djokovic goes on to face Portugal’s Joao Sousa for a place in the last 16. Sousa accounted for Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 1-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Chinese fifth seed Li Na and third-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska made the women’s last 16.
Li hit 11 aces in a 6-2 7-5 victory against teenager Laura Robson, reversing her loss to the Briton at the same stage last year.
The 31-year-old Li, who saw her opponent hit 30 unforced errors and a paltry seven winners, goes on to meet Serbian ninth seed Jelena Jankovic, the 2008 runner-up, for a quarter-final spot.
“I was really happy how I was hitting on the court,” Li said. “And I thought I served really well.”
Robson, 19, had been bothered by a wrist injury in the run-up to the tournament and now has a problem with her teeth.
Li’s best US Open performance was a run to the quarter-finals in 2009.
But that is one round better than Radwanska, who has stumbled at the fourth round stage on three occasions.
The 2012 Wimbledon runner-up made the last 16 once again with a 6-4 7-6 (7-1) win over Russian 32nd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a quarter-finalist in 2011.