Andy Murray Upset by Fernando Verdasco in 2nd Round of 2018 US Open

Andy Murray's run at the 2018 U.S. Open is over after two matches. 

The former world No. 1 lost his second-round match against No. 31 seed Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday, with the Spaniard advancing 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Verdasco entered Wednesday with a 1-13 lifetime record against Murray. The Brit had won their last eight head-to-head matches, though he was in far better form for all of the previous meetings.

Murray has been struggling since his return from a hip injury earlier this year. He reached the quarterfinals of the Citi Open before withdrawing, and he lost in the first round of the Western & Southern Open earlier this month.

Murray's frustration boiled over at points against Verdasco, particularly in the deciding fourth set. He had multiple opportunities for a break down 5-4, but he faltered every time. Murray shook his head in frustration throughout and even tossed his racket at one point.

The sweltering heat at Flushing Meadows left both players drenched in sweat and on the brink of exhaustion. The deciding game of the fourth set went 18 points and had both players screaming at their boxes. The fourth set alone lasted an hour and four minutes.

Earlier this week, Murray told reporters he was looking to conserve as much energy as possible on his off day. 

"Sometimes on the off days at Slams, I would hit for maybe an hour-and-a-half," Murray said. "It's something that I certainly won't be doing in the future. I will be keeping my practice on the off days much lighter and conserving as much energy as I can for the matches."

While Verdasco is known to be a bit inaccurate with his serves, Murray struggled throughout the match. Only 55 percent of his first serves went in, and he made 46 unforced errors. Verdasco had 48 unforced errors, but he had 52 winners to Murray's 35 and made every shot when it counted. 

Verdasco will move on to play Juan Martin del Potro, who earned a straight-sets victory over Denis Kudla in their second-round matchup earlier Wednesday. 

Like Murray, Del Potro has a strong history against Verdasco. He has won four of their five matches against one another, though they have never faced off at a Grand Slam.

Murray, who was playing in his first Slam since Wimbledon in 2017, walks away with his worst major result since the 2008 Australian Open.