Live Commentary: Matthias Bachinger vs. Andy Murray - as it happened

Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the match between Matthias Bachinger and Andy Murray in the second round of the US Open.

For an hour on Monday evening, it seemed unlikely that Andy Murray would be advancing past the first round at Flushing Meadows as he cramped up after each point against Robin Haase. However, the 2012 US Open winner found something from somewhere to grind out a four-set win. Can he fare better tonight? We will find out over the next couple of hours.

The Arthur Ashe Stadium is barely a quarter full at the moment but it appears that we aren't too far away from the players arriving on court. In fact, they are on their way now!

So then, while the players go through their warm-up, let me tell you a little about Matthias Bachinger. The German is no stranger to Murray with the two having known each other since the age of 14 after playing each other in juniors. The 27-year-old is currently ranked at 235 in the world rankings, but he has performed well above that standard in New York in winning three qualifying matches and his first-round encounter with Radek Stepanek in straight sets.

That's the warm-up done and dusted. We hope that you are ready because the players are! It will be Andy Murray to serve first.

Murray starts with a swinging ace out wide. More of that please! Maybe not straight away though - Murray loses the next two points after dumping routine shots into the net. The Scot survives though, and he's on the board in this match.

It's a confident start on serve from Bachinger who quickly imposes himself at the net to move 30-0 up. Murray flattens out his forehand to halve the deficit but he a gust of wind contributes to him sending a shot long on the next. Murray gets back to 40-30 but a big first serve sees him seal the game.

Murray eases into a 30-0 lead before he's forced to react sharply to a couple of hefty backhands from Bachinger to move into a 40-0 advantage. A love service-hold is complete when a shot from the baseline isn't dealt with by the German.

Some may have expected Bachinger to show a few nerves early on, but he's been composure personified. He blasts his way to a 30-0 advantage before Murray nets on the next. A 124mph ace out wide gets us back on level terms.

Murray tamely concedes the opening point but two well-executed serves aren't returned by Bachinger. An ace down the middle takes the Scot to two game points, but Bachinger remains in the game with a stunning forehand return. That was Murray-esque! He fires long on the next, though, and Murray holds to 30.

Bachinger is looking very impressive on serve. An ace down the middle earns three game points, but he allows Murray a glimmer of hope by netting a backhand. There's no nerves from Bachinger though, and he completes the game with a volley.

Bachinger has a look at a second serve at 15-15 but he frames the return wide. He won't be happy with that. The Scot accepts two mistakes from the German to edge back in front.

BREAK! The German opens with a double fault, but he quickly recomposes himself with a big serve down the middle. Murray takes the next point though - mainly due to a superb defensive lob - and he has 15-30. That soon becomes two break points when Bachinger goes long with a forehand. Has the door been opened? Certainly not on the first point - it's a huge ace from the German. Murray's not to be denied on the second break point, though, and after Bachinger goes long, Murray will serve for the first set.

SET! Bachinger is advancing to the net at every given opportunity, but Murray breaks his defences with power from the back of the court. It's 30-15, and Murray earns two set points after outdoing the German in an excellent exchange at the net. An ace confirms the hold and the first set goes to the 2012 champion.

BREAK!The first two points are shared but Murray displays all of his variety before executing a backhand volley at the net. It's a repeat performance from the Scot, who sends a drop volley just over the net to earn two break points. The first is saved but Murray, so far, is extremely accurate with his forehand in the middle of the court and he seals an early break at the start of the second set.

Bachinger has started to swing a bit more now - I think he realises that his main hope tonight - and it works for him as a powerful return and routine smash get him to 15-30. Murray gets back to 30-30 before producing the most outrageous drop shot that you will ever see - I'm serious, that's as good as it gets! Murray holds with an ace to consolidate the break.

That's much better from Bachinger, who holds to 15 with a couple of timely first serves. He needed that to stop the rot.

It's important that Murray stays on top of this because so far, he has looked a bit more like his old self. Some efficient tennis in all areas of the court see him hold to 15.

Murray is almost toying with the German at the moment. At 0-15, Murray dinks a backhand inches over the net to force Bachinger to net, but the world number 235 is able to get back to 30-30 after Murray goes long with two shots that he would expect to make. It's a fine hold from Bachinger, who takes the game with a flat backhand down the line that makes Murray net on the stretch.

We've had very few extended rallies from the baseline but when we do, Murray is winning the exchanges. When Murray is switching the attack to the net, he looks equally as dangerous and that doesn't bode well for Bachinger. A love hold.

Murray has almost become obsessed with the lob over the past 30 minutes, but during the first two points, it doesn't pay off as Bachinger moves to 30-0. What was I saying? Murray does the same again but this time, it's executed brilliantly. He's in control of the next point but Bachinger prevails on the way to taking the game.

Wowzers! Murray seems distracted after the ball drops on the line but on the turn, he sends a backhand winner into the opposite corner. Sublime. That takes him to 30-0 and despite seeing his advantage halved, he eases through the game.

SET! Bachinger opens with a double fault but a big serve down the middle gets him out of trouble for now. The German looks in control at 40-15 but a stunning return sets Murray on the way to deuce. The next two points are shared but Murray earns set point after winning a crazy exchange with some emphatic play inside the court. That opening is taken when Murray pummels Bachinger from the baseline that forces the German to net.

An ace out wide and two unreturned serves get Murray to 40-0 before another supreme defensive lob sets up an easy put-away at the net for a love hold.

A backhand return winner gets Murray to 15-15 but he wastes an opportunity on the opposite wing. Another shot goes into the net to give two game points to Bachinger and although he doesn't take the first, he plays his best point of the match - drawing Murray to the net before passing him with a forehand - to level things up at the start of this set.

Murray throws in his first double fault of the match but he recovers with an ace and first serve out wide to bring up two games points. Bachinger then proceeds to drill the next return wide and Murray holds comfortably.

Bachinger misjudges a Murray slice and allows it to drop inside the baseline but a heavy backhand down the line gets him back on level terms. Three points in a row for the German see him hold to 15. The wind is starting to get up a bit. We'll see if that effects proceedings.

The breezy conditions have definitely hindered Murray's momentum and he quickly falls 0-40 down to the German, who has started to play more aggressively again. However, after Bachinger misses an easy volley at the net, he takes the next two points to get to deuce. The Scot then puts in some super defensive work to bring the error from his opponent who concedes the game with a framed backhand that goes wide. It's an excellent hold from Murray, but a missed opportunity for Bachinger and it will be interesting to see how he follows up that disappointment.

Bachinger comfortably takes the opening two points but he sends a forehand into the net to give Murray hope. The next two points are shared before Bachinger fires down an ace. It's a fine response from the world number 235.

More trouble for Murray on serve after he nets a forehand to give Bachinger 15-30. The next two points are tentative from the German though, with a second serve being framed long before Murray gets the chance to convert a volley at the net. The Scot remains composed to put his first game point into the open court and we remain on serve in the third set.

Ouch. That's unlucky for Bachinger after a net cord takes the power out of the ball and he completely misses his forehand. It's shaken the 27-year-old, who produces to send a forehand long of the baseline. He then slices the ball into the net with his backhand to give Murray three break points. Can the eighth seed break through? He can't! Bachinger saves all three points, but it's due to Murray's mistakes more than anything. Three more opportunities slip by and Bachinger seals a monster hold when Murray flashes a backhand wide.

A sixth ace of the match takes Murray to 30-0 and he extends that lead when Bachinger just misses with a forehand return. Bachinger reduces the deficit with a volley but Murray ensures that his opponent must serve to remain in this match.

The two players play out a terrific 20-shot rally but Murray prevails when Bachinger goes long. Murray then produces a stunning backhand volley to force the mistake out of the German and he is two points from victory. That becomes one when he drills a forehand down the line and it's three match points for Murray. It's taken on the first when Bachinger goes wide, and the eighth seed is through to the third round!

It's an emphatic end to an emphatic performance from Andy Murray who arguably produces some of his best tennis of the year to ease past Matthias Bachinger in straight sets. He never needed to extend himself to overcome the world number 235 but it's refreshing to see that he seems over his mid-match wobble against Robin Haase at the start of the week.

Murray will now play Andrey Kuznetsov in the third round after the Russian fought back to overcome Fernando Verdasco in five sets. That match is likely to take place in the day session on Saturday evening (BST).

That will be all from Sports Mole for this match. Thank you for joining us this evening. Goodbye for now.