Murray crashes out of US Open

World number two Andy Murray crashed out of the US Open, punished for a flat performance with a straight sets defeat to Marin Cilic.

The 16th seed from Croatia won in it at a canter, 7-5 6-2 6-2 as the British star, a finalist at Flushing Meadows 12 months ago, failed to get his game going on his preferred hard court surface at his favourite grand slam of the year.

Murray had come back from two sets to love down at the same stage of last year's tournament to beat Jurgen Melzer en route to his first grand slam final.

If he was going to come back this time he was not going the right way about at the start of the third set, Cilic breaking him in the opening game.

There were still moments of Murray magic, a sliced backhand cross-court winner to save a Cilic game point in the second, for instance, but overall it was a flat performance from the world number two.

Murray got on the board at 2-1 with a hold of serve, sealing the third game with a drop shot winner but Cilic roared back, winning the next game to love with his eighth ace of the match and then a service winner as the return came back long.

Murray came out from the change of end break seemingly pumped up as he trailed 3-2 and he let out a loud “come on” after winning the first point when Cilic hit a wayward backhand.

Cilic, in comparison, was a rock of composure as the game clock passed the two-hour mark and he duly took the game.

Murray’s brief spark of energy was utterly extinguished in the next game as the misses continued to pile up for the second seed and Cilic broke again.

Serving for victory, Cilic quickly moved to match point against the deflated Murray and sealed it with a crunching forehand that Murray could only send long.