Mixed bag as Murray eventually sorts out Bjorkman

TENNIS/US Open:The restoration of Andy Murray gathered pace yesterday when he defeated the veteran Swede Jonas Bjorkman 5-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 6-1 in just over 3½ hours to reach the third round of the US Open.

In truth it was a fitful performance by the Scot, interspersing flashes of brilliance with much that was ordinary and reflected his recent lack of match play, but it was a victory of immense importance, his first back-to-back success since March.

Bjorkman (35), had previously won 29 of his 41 career five-setters, and had not lost one since the first round here three years ago. In the past Murray has not always been at his best early in the day but this was such a gorgeous morning, with blue skies, hot sun and a gentle breeze, that it would have been almost impossible for anybody not to feel the joys.

This was cerebral tennis, with both players attempting to outwit each other tactically. It was Murray who edged ahead initially, with two break points in the fifth game of the first set, only for Bjorkman to wriggle free. A tie-break appeared likely thereafter until Murray, serving for 6-6, suddenly found himself in trouble, largely of his own making. Three times he managed to keep the Swede at bay until a final backhand, lodged deep into Murray's forehand corner, gave Bjorkman the opening set.

When Murray lost his opening service game in the second set to go a set and 2-0 down it seemed his recent lack of competition, just four previous matches since he injured his wrist at the Masters Series event in Hamburg in mid-May, was perhaps catching up with him. His movement was good, however he was a little passive, a criticism levelled at him from time to time. That said, Bjorkman was playing exceptionally well, mixing up the pace, finding awkward angles, and sparingly but effectively appearing at the net to snap a forehand volley.

But in the second set Bjorkman's serve began to falter at critical moments. A double fault allowed Murray to get the second set back on serve, while a second saw the British number one edge decisively clear. In between Murray had been given a warning for swearing when he missed a forehand. The fire was back in his belly.

Bjorkman suddenly began to look his age, and offered minimal resistance in the third set as Murray accelerated smoothly towards the last 32 of the tournament.

But the Swede was not finished. Murray's own serve began to shred and suddenly the match was level once again.

Murray appeared increasingly tired but all the work done in the gym during his enforced injury absence ultimately saw him through.

In the women's, India's Sania Mirza reached the third round of a grand slam tournament for the first time in two years after defeating Laura Granville 6-3 7-5.

The 26th-seeded Mirza, who has struggled to live up to the hype following her breakthrough season in 2005, suffered a second-set wobble before finally sealing her place in the last 32. The Indian pin-up squandered two match points while serving at 5-4 in the second set when Granville broke her for the fifth time to level the set.

However, Mirza broke right back and held serve in the 12th game to close out the 82-minute match on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova overcame a second-set lapse to beat Camille Pin of France 6-3 4-6 6-0. The Russian led 3-1 in the second set but lost five of the next six games before recovering to storm through the decider.

Men's Singles

Second round: Donald Young (USA) bt (13) Richard Gasquet (Fra) w/o; Fernando Verdasco (Spn) bt Gilles Simon (Fra) 6-0 6-4 6-3; (9) Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt Simone Bolelli (Ita) 7-5 6-3 6-3; (19) Andrew Murray (Bri) bt Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) 5-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 6-1; Hyung Taik Lee (Kor) bt (14) Guillermo Canas (Arg) 7-5 7-5 6-3; 5) Andy Roddick (USA) bt Jose Acasuso (Arg) 4-6 6-1 6-2 ret

Women's Singles

Second round: (18) Shahar Peer (Isr) bt Bethanie Mattek (USA) 6-2 6-1; (6) Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) bt Nicole Pratt (Aus) 6-3 6-4; (26) Sania Mirza (Ind) bt Laura Granville (USA) 6-3 7-5; (4) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt Camille Pin (Fra) 6-3 4-6 6-0; (31) Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spa) bt Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spn) 7-5 6-2; Tamira Paszek (Aut) bt (24) Francesca Schiavone (Ita) 6-3 7-5; Julia Vakulenko (Ukr) bt Jelena Kostanic Tosic (Cro) 6-2 6-1; (11) Patty Schnyder (Swi) bt Severine Bremond (Fra) 6-3 6-0; (16) Martina Hingis (Swi) bt Pauline Parmentier (Fra) 6-2 7-5; Victoria Azarenka (Blr) bt Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) 6-2 6-2; (7) Nadia Petrova (Rus) beat Anastasia Rodionova (Rus) 7-5 6-1