If this hammering had come in the earlier rounds it perhaps would have been less impressive but Dimitrov is ranked 24th in the world, beat Murray in Miami earlier this year and ousted world number three Stan Wawrinka at Cincinnati last month. The world No2, who had not dropped a set in the tournament, took three hours and 17 minutes to subdue the courageous challenge of an Italian veteran, Paolo Lorenzi, and it was the loser who walked off Arthur Ashe Court to the louder applause.
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Nishikori, who became the first Asian to reach a grand slam men’s final two years ago in Flushing Meadows, has had a strong season, including a run to the quarters at the Australian Open before falling to eventual victor Novak Djokovic.
But Murray was firing on all cylinders, rating the match that included a career-high 227kph ace to close out the first set as one of his best this season. “He has good feel, moves well”, Murray said. “It’s not only because I’ve been winning matches or anything like that”.
Murray needed more than three hours to complete a 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 victory over 40th-ranked Italian Paolo Lorenzi, who was on court almost five hours in his previous match, a five-set win over Gilles Simon.
He staved off four break points to remain in the set but was helped by Murray’s over-eagerness to finish some points quickly.
Murray admitted: “I was making quite a few unforced errors”. I’m more sort of concerned about how I’m feeling just now. Now it’s more the strategic way, how you’re going to prepare for big matches, big tournaments. He did not appear to bring a lot to the table except a late-career surge that probably surprised even him. There was no time for doubt. Again, whether all of them always believed that or not, I don’t know.
Murray though was up first, in what many confidently predicted would be a quick match.
“Obviously”, Dimitrov said, “today I ran out of fuel, I think, physically and mentally”.
The Scot momentarily raised his game, digging a superb volley out of his feet before two fizzing returns were enough to put Lorenzi behind. More than that, he broke Murray to 30 in the next game to go 5-4 up. He ignored a double fault and the distraction of reflection from an executive box window on a second break point to hold.
World number 40 Lorenzi was playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, and despite losing the first set the 34-year-old responded well to level the match at one set all.
Murray was pushed to a tiebreaker while winning the first set against Lorenzi and then lost the second. Who would have thought it?
They exchanged breaks at the start of the second, then Murray sent a couple of rackets to the stringer.
“The first meeting was four and a half hours long”, Murray told British reporters.
After letting his first-serve efficiency dip to a awful 21%, Murray found another ace, and held for 3-5.
The 29-year-old broke early on again in the fourth set, in fact for the third set in succession Murray seized the advantage on the Italian’s serve in the opening game of the set.
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Still, the Scot couldn’t shake off his man, not even after breaking the Italian in the first game of the second set.
