Murray goes through as US Open final is delayed

ANDY MURRAY took just under two hours to see off Donald Young and reach the quarter final of the US Open. The fourth round match, originally scheduled for Tuesday, endured constant interruptions for rain before Murray was able to run away with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over the American wildcard.

"I was a little bit frustrated in the middle of the second set because I was returning well, hitting the ball well from the back of the court and was giving him chances that I shouldn't have been just because of not serving well enough," Murray said later.

The victory means Murray faces John Isner, another American, in the last Eight. Isner reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final by beating 12th seed Gilles Simon in four sets.

Prior to Murray's win over Young the Scotland had complained of the "incredibly difficult task" he faced if he wanted to win the US Open title with the prospect of playing four matches on consecutive days.

But that possibility has receded after the tournament organisers agreed to reorganise the schedule. Murray will still have to return to the court today to play Isner, and if he wins that match he'll be back on Saturday playing in a semi-final against either Rafael Nadal or Andy Roddick.

But the winner of the semi-final will now be able to rest on Sunday after the organisers rescheduled both the men's and women's final. The women's final is now on Sunday, not Saturday, and the men will decide this year’s champion on Monday instead of Sunday.

It's the fourth consecutive year that the US Open has been moved to a Monday and though there was little alternative for the organisers it's a decision that hasn't gone down well in some quarters. "I'm not really happy about that, to be honest. I'm not, because there is always Davis Cup the weekend after," said world number one Novak Djokovic, who represents Serbia against Argentina in a Davis Cup tie next Friday.

"Last year I played finals and finished very late on Monday. Took off Tuesday, arrived Wednesday, and had to play on Friday already, Saturday. How that is possible? It's just too much."

Djokovic, like Roger Federer, is already through to the semi-finals and can enjoy 48 hours’ rest while the remaining two men’s quarter-finals are contested.

The weather is starting to get to some of those most affected, with even the normally genial Andy Roddick losing his cool in his fourth round match with David Ferrer. Despite the fact the rain had stopped and the sun was out, play was still interrupted when water began to seep through the court behind one of the baselines.

As officials tried to remove the water with a vacuum cleaner, Roddick raged to the tournament referee: "I'm really starting to get pissed off. How hard is it not to see water?" ·