Perhaps only Andy Murray can appear to be grappling with the complications of his own existence while simultaneously winning a tennis match, and that was how he despatched Florian Mayer from the US Open in straight sets in the suffocating bear pit that is the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
To be fair to him – to both of them, in fact – the air at court level was so dead and hot it could have becalmed a yacht, but Murray still managed to produce moments of magic to win 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 and advance to the fourth round here in defence of his title. Beyond that in the quarters, he will play either Tomas Berdych, whom he beat in the semi-finals last year, or Stanislas Wawrinka, who put him out in the third round three years ago.
If he comes through, it is likely to be the newer rather than the older version of Murray who will be on show in the quarters.
Yesterday was a hybrid of the two, a little bit of moaning and groaning to spice up the methodical, chilling tennis with which he slowly, almost cruelly, broke down the excellent game of his German opponent.
Fittingly, perhaps, Murray was wearing what looked suspiciously like the old enemy's football shirt when he raised a weary arm at a tick under two hours.
'Extremely hot'
"Very tough conditions today," Murray said. "He's tricky. It was extremely hot in the first and second sets. Outside expectations might be higher, but I feel a lot more comfortable coming into these events than last year. I think I need to start matches a little bit quicker, I was a bit slower out of the blocks. I need to get my feet in better positions."
Murray moved at times as if he were restricted by a barbed wire vest and, for a while in the first set, when he was at his most tentative, he sucked anxiously at the air. In the final moments of the third set he drenched himself in the contents of his ice-filled neck towel, giving him the appearance of someone who had just walked out of the sea, but it was Mayer who was slowly drowning.
Florian could not break down Murray’s brick-like defence, the part of his game that draws the oohs and ahhs, and he had the overwhelming support of the stadium again.
He really does feel comfortable in this place, where he has had more success than disappointment. It is eight years since he went out in the second round on his debut as a qualifier, bagelled in the fifth set by the Frenchman Arnaud Clement, now retired and a business partner of Michael Llodra, whom Murray beat handsomely in the first round here. How times change.
Guardian Service
