Andy Murray, the 2012 tennis champion was eliminated by No 31 seed Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The Spaniard will face a second straight past champion at Flushing Meadows when he meets third-seeded Juan Martin del Potro in the third round of the US open on Thursday, 30 August.
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.
ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD
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.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)