Andy Murray loses to Fernando Verdasco in US Open second round – as it happened

Andy Murray was knocked out in the second round of the US Open in New York

Which current players have won the US Open?

Andy Murray faced one of his toughest challenges yet on his comeback from hip surgery as he took on No 31 seed Fernando Verdasco in the second round of the US Open.

The former world No 1 played down his chances of winning a second title at Flushing Meadows as he looks to continue his gradual return to action, and after beating Australian James Duckworth in the first round, his reward was a tricky task against the current world No 32.

Murray has played higher-ranked opposition since returning to action – most notably his fellow Briton Kyle Edmund – but this was his first Grand Slam back since Wimbledon last year. Verdasco will now take on either Denis Kudla or former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the third round.

Re-live the live action below...

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Key Points

• Verdasco clinches fourth set to win 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
• Players complain about searing temperatures in New York
• Alize Cornet sanctioned for taking off her top to trigger sexism row at US Open

[29 August 2018 19:05 · Katie Whyatt]

Don't forget to stay with us for all of the action when Andy Murray and Fernando Verdasco get under way. 

You'd rather be here than Amazon Prime - this is where all the cool kids hang out. 

Genuinely, Amazon Prime's coverage has been so badly received they have had to suspend customer reviews for the coverage, which is probably a bit problematic as far as freedom of speech goes. Anyway,  Amazon marked their first exclusive broadcast of a sports event by forking out the princely sum of $40 million for a five-year deal to broadcast the US Open to UK tennis fans. 

Are UK tennis fans grateful? At my last check, Amazon have managed to amass 603 one-star reviews, one of which begins: "Amazon, have you realized what you have done? I don't need to repeat what all the other reviewers have said already, everything is wrong about this US open coverage."

A user called Yippy Dawg boomed: "You've ruined the US Open for me." 

Another fumed: "If what I have read is true, there will be no recording, no live pause, no rewind and a severe lack of court choice. It's like going back 10 years or more!"

I, too, am genuinely struggling to remember a time before we could rewind and pause live TV. 

[29 August 2018 19:16 · Katie Whyatt]

We all love getting lost in the bowels of Wikipedia, and, while you always have to be a little wary of 'the online encyclopaedia anyone can edit' (apparently Michael McIntyre's date of birth was wrong for years and years, and may still be - a nugget I'm sure will come in use for you some day), a trip to Fernando Verdasco's is still an illuminating jaunt. 

Apparently, he began playing tennis aged four, and had a full-time coach aged... eight. 

While your brains flood with mental images of some sort of test tube athlete, raised high in the mountains to improve his lungs' oxygen capacity and streamlined to reduce wind resistance, those imaginings might not be that wide of the mark. 

He grew up "practicing with his father on the two hard courts in the backyard of their family home. He stopped school at the age of 11, and his father took over his son's academic training". 

Dedication, that. 

[29 August 2018 19:23 · Katie Whyatt]

We might end up waiting a little while for Andy Murray to emerge: Sloane Stephens and Anhelina Kalinina have just taken a heat break, and they've still got another set to churn through. 

It's Stephens 4-6 7-5 Kalinina at the Arthur Ashe stadium and both players have raided the towels cupboard in a bid to keep cool. 

It means Murray is likely to get going at 15:30 US time - or 20:30 over here... 

I'm sure we can find a way to fill that time. We'll be hearing from Andy Murray, for one thing - and you can tweet me, @KatieWhyatt​. 

[29 August 2018 19:31 · Katie Whyatt]

Our predictions of Andy Murray starting at 19:30 have proved... wildly inaccurate, but fear not.

It's all given Murray some time to reflect on managing the hip injury that has robbed the former world number one of so much tennis - this is his first Grand Slam since he limped off at Wimbledon last year.

One game in, he's still in one piece, and navigated through the first round, although inhibited by a lack of movement, with guts and stoicism. 

He beat Australian James Duckworth - who's had as many injury problems as Andy, including three operations this year - 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5 6-3.

Murray said afterwards: "I felt better today than I expected to at the end of the match. When I'm going into the matches, I'm sort of trying to prepare to not feel great physically. If my hip is painful, I try to prepare for that mentally."

Contrary to common parlance, it turns out hips do lie. 

[29 August 2018 19:39 · Katie Whyatt]

The Isle of Fernando-s Verdasco

Andy Murray has also been thinking about what to expect from opponent Fernando Verdasco before they face off in about an hours' time. 

Ideally, Verdasco would be merciful enough to ease Murray back into the Grand Slam life given the Scot's hip injury, but, terrifyingly, the Spaniard is renowned for keeping his opponents on court for a long time.

That means the pair will have plenty of time to get to know each other while in the States. The Isle of Fernando-s Verdasco, anyone?

No? Well - here's Murray: 

He's got a huge, huge forehand and can do whatever he wants, really, with that shot. He can hit angles, flatten it out, higher balls - he's not an easy guy to play against ever when he's on his game. I guess my job in that match is to stop him dictating. Hopefully I can be a bit more offensive and keep him on the back foot a bit.

[29 August 2018 19:53 · Katie Whyatt]

While we wait, let's put our thumbs to good use. Stop twiddling them and get scrolling through the best bits from our coverage of the last few days of the US Open. 

Our tennis correspondent Paul Newman is over in New York - here's his report from Andy Murray's first round victory: 

[29 August 2018 20:00 · Katie Whyatt]

With Sloane Stephens and Anhelina Kalinina inching to a conclusion - they've been on court for almost three hours - the later start might suit Murray. 

Stephens is three points away now and a breeze has picked up at the Arthur Ashe Stadium - but it's still only a degree or two cooler than it was earlier. 

There's been a lot of worry about the heat in the US during the tournament's early stages - brutally, the show-court Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums do not have air conditioning when the roofs are closed. 

Nick Kyrgios has been a little worried, as you can find out below.

[29 August 2018 20:06 · Katie Whyatt]

2 hours and 46 minutes later, that marathon is over and done with: Stephens 4-6 7-5 6-2 Kalinina. 

The pair took a ten-minute break at one point, with Stephens reflecting: "It was super hot, and that was not fun at all. I was sweating a lot."

During the break, Stephens said she "changed her outfit, had two bites of sushi and a drink of a slushie". But that's a Gatorade slushie - they convert sports drinks into slushies in tennis, apparently. It's not a Slush Puppy, sadly. 

She deserves one after that session. 

[29 August 2018 20:08 · Katie Whyatt]

Andy Murray is walking out! I repeat: Andy Murray is walking out! This is not a drill.

[29 August 2018 20:14 · Katie Whyatt]

Andy Murray won the US Open title on this court in 2012, but he's been cagey when asked if he's hoping to reach the final again this stage. 

Amazon have just played a Guy Richie-trailer style film noir montage of Murray, a chessboard, Big Ben and a voice over of Andy saying: "I'm not expecting to play, like, my best tennis right now." 

But he's here and raring to go - and the shade has moved over most of the court now. Excessive heat means tennis becomes mentally testing and tactically-driven - you have to limit your movements - and Murray might just have the edge in that department.