Nadal reaches third round at U.S. Open

NEW YORK, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Rafael Nadal, seeking his third straight grand slam title, won a grueling three-set battle Friday to move into the third round of the U.S. Open.

Nadal defeated Denis Istomin 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 to set up a meeting with Gilles Simon in the next round.

Istomin continued to play in the third set despite having the upper portion of his right leg heavily taped by a trainer.

Simon reached the third round by surviving a five-set match against Philipp Kohlschreiber 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.

Earlier in the day, Andy Murray coasted into the third round with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Justin Brown. Murray needed less than 90 minutes to produce the victory.

Murray defeated Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this year but Nadal, the world's No. 1 player, went on to win the French Open in a title match with Robin Soderling and Wimbledon in a championship contest against Tomas Berdych.

Murray will meet Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round after he defeated Juan Ignacio Chela 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

Fernando Verdasco also advanced with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Adrian Mannarino and David Ferrer defeated Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.