Andy Murray pulls off remarkable comeback in US Open

The Scot was two sets and a break down, and faced a match point in the fourth set, against Japanese world No 49 Yoshihito Nishioka.

But it was as if Murray, playing his first major singles match since undergoing career-saving hip surgery 20 months ago, had never been away as he put himself, his coach, and his opponent through the wringer.

The 33-year-old, who usually feeds off the tension of playing in front of a packed crowd, was as flat as the atmosphere at Flushing Meadows in the opening two sets.

But the fierce competitor eventually re-emerged, battling through two tie-breaks before finishing off the Japanese baseliner 4-6 4-6 7-6 (5) 7-6 (4) 6-4 in four hours and 38 minutes.

Johanna Konta shrugged off some early resistance from her compatriot Heather Watson to reach the second round of the US Open.

The British number one had to fend off a series of set points in the first set tie-break before ultimately cruising to a 7-6 6-1 (7) success.

It was sign of the further progress being made by the world number 13 under new coach Thomas Hogstedt, in the wake of her run to the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open last week.

The defeat was Watson’s fourth in a row since she won the pre-lockdown Mexican Open in February, but the 28-year-old will take heart from a gutsy first-set display.

Beverley’s Kyle Edmund will face world No 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round after overcoming a difficult first set before seeing off Alexander Bublik.

Edmund beat Djokovic in three sets at the 2018 Madrid Open, and insisted: “I’ve got nothing to lose. I have the experience of beating him but he has also beaten me a bunch of times. He’s a top player.”

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