Andy Murray
Murray through after straight sets win. Getty

Andy Murray has reached the third round of the US Open after a straight sets win over Marcel Granollers.

The British no. 1 saw off his Spanish opponent to seal a 6-4 6-1 6-4 victory, setting up a third round clash with either Giles Simon or Paolo Lorenzi, whose second round match was postponed due to rain.

Play was suspended elsewhere on Thursday (1 September) as a storm opened up in the New York sky but Murray and Granollers were able to continue under the closed roof at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Murray, chasing back-to-back grand slam titles after his success at Wimbledon in July, raced into a 3-0 lead as he looked to make quick work of the Spaniard. Granollers responded aggressively however and saved set point trailing 5-3, rescuing two more before Murray finally broke his resistance.

After a tight opener, Murray dominated the second set, sealing it in just 35 minutes, less than half the time it took him to take the first. Granollers held to love at start of the third set but Murray immediately stuck back with a vicious backhand. Another tight exchange ensued before Murray finally found the breakthrough in the penultimate game, breaking his opponent again to set up the win.

Murray joins fellow Britons Kyle Edmund and Johanna Konta in the third round.

Edmund, who upset Richard Gasquet in a superb opening round, progressed past Ernesto Escobed in straight sets on Wednesday (30 August) while Konta edged past Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova despite collapsing on court due to heat exhaustion.