It might seem odd for a man who won Wimbledon just over a month ago, but Andy Murray admitted to a few nerves yesterday as he showed something more like top form en route to a 6-2, 6-3 drubbing of Mikhail Youzhny in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters.

Beaten in the third round by Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in Montreal last week, Murray is eager for a sustained run this week ahead of his defence of the US Open at Flushing Meadows, beginning on August 26.

After coaxing 42 unforced errors out of a lacklustre Youzhny, Murray pronounced himself satisfied and relieved to get through to a third-round battle against the Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

"It was an important match for me because I want to get as many matches as possible before the US Open," Murray said. "I was a bit nervous but I didn't make too many mistakes, just tried to play solid and get through."

The courts in Cincinnati are quicker than those in Montreal and suit Murray. On the same courts in 2006, he beat Roger Federer for the first time and he is a two-time winner of the event.

Youzhny had done Murray a favour by taking out Gulbis in round one but he must hate the sight of Murray across the net. The Russian had won just one set against the world No.2 in their three previous meetings, including at Wimbledon this summer, and seemed clueless as to the best method of attack.

A double fault in the first game did not help matters and if Murray's nerves were a problem, he settled them quickly with an early break and then another to lead 3-0.

On a near-perfect day, with temperatures in the 70s, well below the intense heat Cincinnati often conjures up, Murray moved well and was happy to stay well within the lines, offering Youzhny nothing by way of gifts.

The only tactic that seemed to work for the Russian was to sneak to the net when he could but, otherwise, he was comprehensively outplayed by a solid, effortless Murray. The Scot kept his advantage to take the first set and his only blip came when he was broken in the sixth game of the second set. But Murray was already 4-1 up by that stage and, while Youzhny moved to 4-3, the Scot held easily and then broke again to secure the match when his opponent sent a forehand tamely over the baseline.

"I felt pretty comfortable and I moved pretty well," Murray said. "I would have liked to have hit a few more winners but I wasn't going for huge shots, just playing high percentage tennis today to try to get the win.

Murray has won all three of his previous meetings with Benneteau but dropped a set against him in Cincinnati in 2009 and knows better than to underestimate an occasionally flashy opponent.

"It' a tough match," he said. "I was down a set and a break against him here a few years ago and managed to come back. He's a very good doubles player as well and he doesn't have any massive weaknesses. I'll need to be ready for him as he's caused a lot of upsets in the past."

Roger Federer opened his hardcourt season with a straightforward 6-3, 7-6 (7) win over Germany's Phillip Kohlschreiber to ease into the third round. The former world No.1 is chasing a record sixth title in Cincinnati.

Milos Raonic, the first Canadian to crack the top 10 of the world rankings after reaching the final in Montreal, beat the American Jack Sock 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 while another American, wildcard Ryan Harrison, fell to third-seeded David Ferrer 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-4. Spain's Feliciano Lopez upset Japanese 10th seed Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-6 and 15th seed Gilles Simon of France retired with a hip strain while trailing Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-3, 1-1.