In-form Haase next for Murray at U.S. Open

In-form Haase next for Murray at U.S. Open Andy Murray's U.S. Open campaign resumes on Friday against Robin Haase. The showdown pits two of the hotter players on tour in an early-round clash.

Andy Murray and Robin Haase will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they do battle in round two of the U.S. Open on Friday. Their only previous encounter came three years ago in Rotterdam, where Haase--with home-court advantage--pulled off a 7-5, 6-3 upset.

Murray, of course, is a much different player now. The Scot is up to No. 4 in the world and his back-and-forth 2011 campaign is on the positive side at the moment. After an early exit in Montreal, Murray rebounded to capture the Cincinnati title. He won the first set against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic before the Serb retired with a shoulder problem.

Like Murray, Haase is also in stellar form right now. The 41st-ranked Dutchman sports a 25-20 record this season and he has won eight of his last 10 matches. This stretch includes a title in Kitzbuhel and a semifinal performance last week in Winston-Salem.

Both men kicked off their stays in Flushing Meadows with convincing performances. Murray survived a tough first set before dismissing Somdev Devvarman in straights, while Haase thrashed Rui Machado.

An upset is not entirely out of the question simply because Haase is producing great tennis and Murray has been hit or miss this year. A high-quality encounter should be expected, with Murray in four the likely result.