Scotland's Andy Murray has beaten Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the Australian Open to set up a third round meeting with Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.
Andy Murray admitted his fitness training is starting to pay off after surviving the blistering heat in Melbourne to secure a straight sets win over Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.
The British number one has been hampered in past matches by a lack of stamina but he handled the heat well at the Vodafone Arena to overcome Verdasco 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 6-4 and set up a third round meeting with Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela.
'It was really tough today,' a breathless Murray told British Eurosport. ‘The conditions were very warm and my feet were burning.
'I would rather be playing indoors. It's (the heat) really tough. It takes a lot out of you. But I've done a lot of fitness training and I'm hoping that it pays off in these conditions.'
World number 15 Murray lost his serve three times in the opening set but broke back each time and took the tiebreak to put himself in command.
The 19-year-old Scot also trailed 4-1 in the second set but hauled himself level and went on to take the set, clinching it after Verdasco has received treatment for blisters.
Murray paid tribute to a gutsy if erratic opponent who gifted too many points in the conditions to pose a serious threat.
'He did a lot of running and he has a great serve and forehand,' said Murray. 'There were a lot of rallies and it was difficult but I had great support and that helped pull me through.'
Murray kept his nerve in the third and, after Verdasco had saved four match points, he sealed a scrappy but reasonably comfortable second-round victory.
Chela promises to present Murray with a much stiffer challenge in the last 32.
