Live Commentary: Mikhail Youzhny vs. Andy Murray - as it happened

Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the match between Mikhail Youzhny and Andy Murray at the Cincinnati Masters.

This time last week, Murray was playing in his first game since his famous triumph at Wimbledon, but all didn't go to plan as he was eliminated at the third round stage by Ernest Gulbis. He will be hoping to go deep into the competition in Cincinnati in what his is last tournament ahead of the US Open.

Standing in his way today is Russian Mikhail Youzhny. The 31-year-old got past Gulbis in straight sets yesterday, but he has never defeated Murray in three attempts.

The sun is out over in America, which will only increase the speed at which the ball travels through the air. That will most certainly suit the Brit, but Youzhny is capable of holding his own from the back of the court.

The crowd on centre court is far from capacity, but I imagine that will only increase throughout the match. The two players are ready, it's Youzhny to serve first.

BREAK! Youzhny takes the opening point after moving into court, but he goes long on the next. It's a shaky start from the Russian and back-to-back double faults bring up two break points for Murray, and he takes the first when Youzhny nets a backhand.

It's Murray's turn to look shaky on serve. He concedes the opening point timidly by netting a backhand, before a series of defensive shots allow Youzhny to take advantage. However, he is allowed back into the game when Youzhny goes long twice in succession, before the Russian sends a forehand wide of the tramlines. Youzhny is looking extremely erratic so far, and he pushes another shot wide to gift Murray the game.

BREAK! This could be over fast if Youzhny continues like this. He goes wide on the opening point, before conceding his third double fault in two service games. He then goes long from the baseline and it is three break points for Murray. The Wimbledon champion is hardly doing anything with the ball, but Youzhny nets and that is the double break in next to no time.

That's a much improved rally from the Russian, who fights back to force Murray into the error. He looks to have found his range, and after several punishing shots, he seals the point with a drop shot. However, Murray converts his winner of the match (despite being 3-0 up) before a driven forehand from inside the baseline makes it 30-30. Youzhny brings up break point when Murray nets, but Youzhny does the same thing, and it's deuce. Murray is executing the one-two off his serve increasingly well, and it helps him come through a tough game.

A powerful backhand earns Youzhny the first point, before some stupendous defensive work from Murray makes it 15-15. The Russian finds a bit of luck though, with a net cord sending a Murray forehand just long, and the Brit nets to allow Youzhny to get on the board.

Murray has yet to look dominant on his serve, but he sweeps to 30-0 on this occasion. However, two shockingly bad forehands gift Youzhny 30-30, before Murray responds with a sharp drop-volley at the net. Another tough hold is sealed when the Russian goes long after a neatly-placed backhand from Murray.

The two players exchange errors, before Youzhny sneaks into the net to put away a backhand volley. He still looks poor off his serve, though, and another double fault ensures that Murray is two points away from the set. Murray then moves one from taking the opener after another Youzhny error, but Murray frames a forehand straight into the crowd for deuce, and the Russian comes through with the hold.

SET! Murray nets a volley on the first point, but it doesn't hinder his confidence on the next, which he puts away with authority. The score moves to 30-30 after a couple of mistakes, but Murray registers his first ace of the match for set point. That's the opener done and dusted, Youzhny mis-hitting a forehand into the crowd.

BREAK! Youzhny looks remarkably low on confidence for someone who played so well yesterday. He opens with a double fault, before netting a backhand. But that's better from the world number 25, who drives a backhand past Murray for 30-30. He moves to game point with an ace, but another shot goes wide to bring up deuce. The Scot goes long on his first break point, but he takes the second after Youzhny slices the ball long.

You feel that the Russian needs to hit back immediately or this match could soon be over. The first two points are shared, before Murray unleashes a venomous serve that Youzhny can't handle. The Russian looks despondent and two more mistakes allow Murray to take the game.

It's imperative that Youzhny holds here, and he does so efficiently. He concedes just the one point in a much improved game and he is on the board in the second set.

Murray steps into court to put away a forehand on the opening point, and Youzhny has no answer on the next two points, crashing the ball into the net. His game continues to unravel and a extremely average backhand slice floats long of the baseline.

BREAK! Murray keeps the crowd entertained by returning three smashes from the Russian, but he eventually converts the fourth for 30-0. However, it's soon 30-30 after yet more mistakes from the world number 25, and he throws in his sixth double fault to gift Murray break point, which is effortlessly converted when Youzhny drives a forehand yards wide of the tramline. I can't remember a performance from any player that has included this many errors.

BREAK! For the stattos out there, Youzhny has made 32 mistakes in 13 games. He brings up number 33 on the first point, but Murray throws his own in there to make it 15-15. Out of nowhere, the Russian produces some brilliance to bring up two break points, and he claims one of his service games back when Murray goes wide. Where did that come from?

All of a sudden, Youzhny looks a different player. I think he has just decided to go for broke, and it is paying dividends when he holds to 15, the last point being claimed by a fine one-two off his serve.

Murray needs to regain his momentum here, and he starts well in moving to 30-0. A rally in excess of 20 shots draws another mistake out of Youzhny, and Murray moves one game away from the third round when the Russian can't return a second serve.

MATCH! Youzhny starts this must-win game with his seventh double fault, and a sharp backhand return forces the world number 25 to dump a backhand wide of the mark. Murray is two away, but Youzhny finds a backhand winner and a shot into the open court to make it 30-30. However, it's match point to Murray after a superb cross-court backhand, and victory is sealed inside 70 minutes when Youzhny goes long once again.

Job done for Andy Murray, and that's about all you can say it was. It wasn't fantastic from the Scot, but he was always going to win with Youzhny making a total of 41 unforced errors in two sets of tennis.

The one aspect that Murray will be pleased with was that he wrapped up the match in such a short space of time. He still might have been feeling the effects of his run to the doubles final with Colin Fleming in Montreal last week.

The Scot will return tomorrow, when he will play France's Julien Benneteau for a place in the quarter-finals.

That will be all from Sports Mole from this match. Thank you for joining us, and be sure to visit us again for the remainder of the tournament and the upcoming US Open. Goodbye for now.