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Andy Murray grits through cramps to beat Robin Haase in first round

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NEW YORK (AP) -- Spinning in 70 mph second serves, grabbing at his hamstrings, Andy Murray gritted his way through cramps to win his first-round match at the U.S. Open.

The eighth-seeded Murray beat Robin Haase 6-3, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 7-5 on a steamy Monday. He started cramping in the back of his shoulder early in the third set, then it spread to his forearm.

Murray reached for his hamstring in the middle of one rally and still won the point. After hitting a winner, he'd twisted his body to awkwardly stretch his left side.

"I tried to hang around the best I could and managed to get through," the two-time major champion said during an on-court interview.

Murray was twice down a break in the fourth set, but Haase unraveled with a string of unforced errors. The 70th-ranked Haase wasted three break points in the final game, when he was also hurt by a missed call.

Up 5-3 earlier in the set, Haase double-faulted on break point to allow Murray to get back on serve. Murray then went up 6-5 when he took Haase's second serve high and whacked a forehand winner.

With Murray trying to serve out the match, Haase smacked a deep return on his second break point that would have put him in good position to win the game. The ball was called out, and after it was overturned on review, they had to replay the point. This time, Haase hit a volley into the net.

"Parts of that match weren't particularly pretty to watch," said Murray, who rallied from a two-set deficit to beat Haase in the second round of the 2011 U.S. Open.